Drift
by Salemsoriginal99
Summary: The war with Voldemort has ended, but the war with Death Eaters is about to begin. Meanwhile, when Ginny starts having unusal dreams, she finds out more about herself and a certain person as she struggles to keep her head above the raging waters. D/G Hr/R
1. An Unusual Dream

**A/N: This was the _perfect_ quote!**

_When we are dreaming alone it is only a dream. When we are dreaming with others, it is the beginning of reality._ **-Dom Helder Camara**

* * *

_Someone was screaming… _

_It was a long, piercing, agonized scream that came from the depths of a vast nothing. _

_Ginny almost felt like joining in at the rate the screaming was escalating. _

"_Where are you?!" she shouted through the fog that surrounded her. The person screamed in reply and Ginny felt a cold chill run down her spine. She began to move, but after a moment stopped. She had absolutely no idea where she was and where she was going. _

_The screaming stopped, leaving Ginny even more fearful than when it had begun._

_Why had the person been screaming in the first place?_

_There was a crack behind Ginny and without thinking she took off into the haze, not caring where she was going, as long as she could find a way out. Behind her, she could still here the cracking sound, but as she continued to run it grew fainter. It was then she realized she was running in mud. She couldn't see anything else but the ground and all she could see was mud and her dirty bare feet._

_What was she doing here in the first place?_

_She let out a cry of pain as she came crashing to the ground after tripping over something. She found herself entangled with something heavy and fought against it. However, whatever had her wasn't fighting against her at all. Finally she managed to untangle herself from whatever it was and distanced herself a little before she peered through the fog. Then she screamed. _

_There lying in the mud was the body of a woman she had never seen before. Ginny couldn't tell if she was alive or not, but could see that she had been badly beaten and was bleeding severely. _

_Was this the person who had been screaming?_

_She was about to get closer when she heard the crack again. She swirled around but couldn't see anything. She was about to say something when she was slammed from the side and knocked over. She and the person who had run into her went rolling through the mud. Ginny felt the person struggle to get her down in the mud and she began to fight them. _

"_Help!" she shouted before a mud-covered hand fell over her mouth and she was yanked down into the mud. _

"_Shut up," the person hissed and for a moment she almost screamed in shock. The person held her close to them for a moment until the cracking sound finally when away. She was finally released and she whirled around to see who it was. _

"_Malfoy?"_

_The blonde haired boy looked just as surprised to see her as she felt and it was probably the first time in her life that she saw pure shock on the young man's face. _

"_Weasley?"_

_The ground suddenly shook and the two whirled around to see flames appear through the mist. The fire surged toward them and before Ginny could scream she was being yanked in the opposite direction by none other than Draco Malfoy. She had to work extra hard to keep up with Malfoy's long-legged sprint. _

"_Damn it, Weasley, hurry up!" he yelled over his shoulder as he dragged her along. _

_Ginny couldn't help but look back and she could see flames tearing through the fog, eager to taste flesh. She picked up her speed._

_Suddenly the mud ended and they hit water. Malfoy looked a little confused for a moment, but after glancing behind them, he grabbed Ginny by the arm roughly and shoved her forward before following her further into the water. The moment it was up to their shoulders, he grabbed her by the head and pulled her under the water with him just as the fiery jets reached the waters edge. The two looked up from under the water to see the fire raging overhead, as if it was still continuing over the water's surface. _

_The moment the fire disappeared Malfoy glanced at Ginny and gave her a signal to wait before he pushed himself up to the surface. In doing that, he had accidentally scratched her arm with a cufflink. Ginny flinched but couldn't do anything. She could feel her lungs burning for air as she waited until he pulled her up as well and they stood there in the water. She gasped for air as she looked around. _

"_What's going on?" she asked breathlessly, turning to him finally. _

_He met her eyes for a moment before he began to go back to the shore, where the fog was still very much thick. _

"_How should I know, Weasley," he drawled in a very annoyed fashion. Ginny hurried after him, not wanting to lose him in the fog. It was better to be with Malfoy than to be alone. _

_Then suddenly something struck her as odd. _

_Why was Malfoy acting as if he wasn't part of this?_

_She reached out and grabbed his arm. _

"_What are you doing in my dream?" she demanded, shivering from the cold that suddenly descended upon them after they had left the water. He stared at her as if she was crazy._

"_What are you talking about, Weasley? This is my dream," he growled. _

_Ginny looked around and raised an eyebrow. _

"_I would have thought there would be tortured animals lying about and loose women doing your will," she commented. _

_For some strange reason, Malfoy smirked and began to walk again, looking distastefully at the ground as he trudged through it. _

"_I suppose if we were in my dream, you'd be wearing something completely different," he said over his shoulder, causing her to blush violently and march over to him. _

"_So you agree this isn't your dream," she said. _

_Malfoy stopped and looked around. _

"_I would have much more creativity, so I should have to say that it's _your_ dream," he replied. _

_Ginny sighed. It was as if he made a point to make sure that every time he spoke to her he insulted her as well. _

"_Well, if it _is_ my dream, then what the hell are you doing here?" she demanded, grabbing his arm again to stop him from walking away._

_Malfoy shrugged her off as if her touch added more filth to his already ruined robes. _

"_I'd watch it, Weasley. If you remember, I'm the one who just saved your life," he growled before walking off again. _

_Ginny glared at his back._

"_Hey!" she shouted. He turned around and was about to shoot her a scathing remark and then his eyes grew. He ran over to her and knocked her down again, landing right on top of her. _

"_Be quiet!" he hissed. _

_As much as Ginny wanted him to get off of her, she remained silent and finally heard the cracking sound again. She stared up at Malfoy's face while he stared ahead at something she could see. Water dripped from his hair and pointed chin as he remained completely still over her, staring intently at whatever it was that was cracking. _

_When the cracking disappeared again, he looked down at her and only then realized that he was on top of her. They stared at each other for what seemed like forever. Ginny could feel herself shivering, but had a strange feeling it had nothing to do with the cold anymore. She watched him watch her for a moment and a small chill ran down her back when she saw his eyes flicker down to her lips before they met hers again. But before either one could move they were both jolted and then everything went black. _

"Ginny? Ginny, wake up!"

Ginny shot straight up in her bed and Hermione nearly fell off. Ginny looked around frantically, searching for something and someone who wasn't there. Who would never be there.

"Are you okay? You were muttering in your sleep," Hermione whispered, standing up and straightening her shirt. Ginny looked up at her and frowned.

"What?"

Hermione looked concerned.

"You were saying something about a fire and then you started saying Malfoy's name," she told Ginny, looking slightly disturbed by the latter part of that sentence.

Ginny stared at her for a moment before shaking her head quickly and getting out of bed.

"Oh that. No, I was getting into a fight with Malfoy and I told him to go to hell," she muttered quickly, going over to her drawer and taking out some clothes. Hermione watched her for a moment.

"Uh huh," she said, looking unconvinced. But she decided not to say anything about it. Ginny looked so nervous and confused that she had a feeling that the dream must have disturbed her more than it did Hermione.

Hermione went over to the door and began to leave.

"Harry just came. He's downstairs with Ron," she said before leaving.

Ginny waited until she was gone before gasping in pain and looking down at her arm to see a small cut where Malfoy had scratched her. Or maybe she had cut herself while she was sleeping. That sounded a lot more rational.

But then again, having Draco Malfoy in her dreams and have absolutely no idea how he got there wasn't exactly something that happened everyday.

Biting her lip, she looked out the window.

What had that been all about?

* * *

"Ah, Draco, there you are," Narcissa Malfoy murmured as her son sat down across from her. A servant came in and placed his plate in front of him, filled with all sorts of fancy breakfast dishes.

"Mother," he greeted coolly, picking up his fork and poking the food disdainfully.

"You slept late this morning," she commented after a long period of stony silence.

A house elf near by glanced between the two before leaving the room, knowing that something bad might happen to him if he stayed.

Draco stiffened, but other than that he gave no evidence of what had happened while he had been sleeping. For Draco, it was dangerous to speak about anything to his mother anymore. Ever since the Dark Lord had fallen, the Death Eaters that had managed to survive and escape trial remained quiet and seething. Draco was well aware of how many of them were eager to destroy Potter for what had happened and knew that they were watching the Malfoy's for that moment.

All summer Draco had seen several Death Eaters come through Malfoy Manor to speak with his mother. Lucius, who had disappeared after the war, was still no where to be found. As far as Draco cared, the man had died years earlier.

Now he sat here, surrounded by an underworld lusting for blood, knowing that his own mother had dark plans awaiting him.

No… he would not dare talk to his mother of his dreams. It would be the death of him.

"Late night," he replied before standing up and leaving the dining room. He walked down the long marble corridor that led from the dining room to other various rooms in the expansive Malfoy Manor. He let his mind wander to the dream he had had last night. Or was it a dream?

What the hell had happened?

He had been dreaming peacefully of Ronald Weasley falling off his broom and hurtling to his otherwise painful doom while Harry Potter had lost his nerves, run off the Quiddich pitch like the pansy he was and left Draco to win the Cup for Slytherin. But as soon as his hands had curled around the little golden Snitch, he had crashed into the muddy haze that had become a rather curious thing the moment he found out he wasn't alone. He had heard the screaming for a while, but had chosen to ignore it while he supposed it was just another dream. But the moment he felt the pain of the crash and the sudden chill from the fog, he knew something was different.

Draco _never_ felt pain and he _never _felt cold.

He had wandered around the fog for a while before he had heard Weasley scream. He had gone over in her direction but before he realized who she actually was he had seen something move menacingly through the fog. In that one moment he thought of his own safety and threw himself at Weasley to shut her up. He probably would have just stunned her if he had had his wand.

Everything after that confused even him and Malfoys do not get confused.

Draco found himself in his room and slammed the door shut, knowing that his mother would probably send some house elf to spy on him.

He sat down on his sofa and stared into the fire that had been prepared for him before he had entered. His mind traveled back to the look Weasley had given him before he had woken up. He remembered feeling her shaking underneath him and he remembered the sparks of electricity that shot through his body because of her movement. Those few moments had reawakened something raw and primal within him and he knew he had to shove those thoughts out of his head quickly before he returned to Hogwarts, where he would be subjected to seeing her frequently along with her little bodyguards, Potter, Weasel and the Mudblood.

He sighed and rubbed his temples carefully, trying to get the images of Ginny Weasley beneath him out of his mind. He'd always been taught appreciation for the finer things in life, and the Weasleys certainly weren't one of them.

He let out a frustrated growl and stood up. He walked over to his desk and wrote a hasty note before giving it to the large black eagle owl perched by the window, glaring at him.

"Take it to Parkinson," he ordered before opening the window and releasing the bird.

He needed to get his mind off Weasley and Pansy Parkinson would be all to willing to oblige. Perhaps she'd bring a friend.

**A/N: Yes, I know. SHE'S DOING A D/G FIC! I just decided to test myself. Spread my wings and such. I desperately need a change. Of course there will be some Hr/R, because you can never get too much of that, but it will be mostly D/G. I don't know what I'm going to do with Harry. Oh, btw, does anyone know the real first name of Warrington. I need to know.**

**R/R!!**


	2. The Shrieking Shack

_No question is so difficult to answer as that to which the answer is obvious._** -George Bernard Shaw **

* * *

"Honestly, Ronald! Do you really think those things are absolutely necessary?" Hermione asked, clearly annoyed as Ron picked up a few boxes of Fainting Fancies from a shelf.

Mrs. Weasley had allowed Ron, Ginny, Hermione and Harry to go down to Hogsmeade for a few hours and after an hour of window shopping, Hermione had finally resigned to Ron and Harry's pleas and they ended up in Fred and George's new shop. They had finally managed to by out Zonko's and put up a bigger Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. It was actually their last day before having to return to Hogwarts, so Ron and Harry decided to pay the twins one last visit.

Harry and Ginny were now standing at the checkout counter with George, watching as Hermione and Ron bickered over whether or not it was essential to bring some of the twins' merchandise back to Hogwarts.

"It's not like I'm going to use them on myself, Hermione," Ron argued.

Hermione waved her hand around the shop.

"Ron, most of this stuff isn't even _legal_ at Hogwarts! The moment Filch finds you with it, you'll have detention for months!" Hermione retorted passionately. Both of them didn't even seem to notice the small group of people around the shop growing silent as they listened to the two continue.

Ron rolled his eyes.

"Oh please, Hermione. It's not that hard to get stuff by Filch," he replied.

Hermione's eyes narrowed.

"Do you really believe that he's not going to catch _all _of this stuff? Besides, it's _illegal_, Ron," she said.

"You know, Hermione," George interrupted. "Fred and I have created something to allow Hogwarts students the ability to cloak all of our merchandise so that they can effectively get it past security at Hogwarts. It's really quite…"

The look Hermione shot him caused him to falter before falling silent. She puffed herself up indignantly, not liking the way this was going. However, instead of continuing, she stalked off down the isle and disappeared, muttering something about male Weasleys and their stupidity.

Ron on the other hand looked perfectly cheerful that the conversation was over and brought the stuff over to the counter where Ginny was shaking his head and Harry was trying to stifle a smile.

"She'll calm down in a while," Ron said, mostly to convince himself than anything else. Ginny caught Harry's mirth filled eyes and smiled.

"I'm sure she will, Ron," she said.

It took a while, but Hermione eventually did reappear. She didn't, however, speak to Ron directly for the rest of their time wandering around the small village. They were just about to head back when Harry stopped, causing Ginny to bump into him.

"What is it?" Hermione asked, shooting a disapproving look to Ron who had just stuffed two chocolate frogs in his mouth.

Harry pointed to something in the woods and they all looked and gasped.

"Malfoy?"

Ginny bit her lip, her dream flooding back to her as they watched the tall blonde young man move through the woods behind several stores.

"He's heading towards the Shrieking Shack," Ron muttered.

"Probably to see one of his bloody Death Eater pals," Harry said darkly.

Hermione glanced over to him and frowned.

"Harry, you know very well that he isn't a-"

"Do you honestly believe that, Hermione?" Ron cut in, turning away from Malfoy's disappearing figure. Hermione stood up straighter.

"I believe Dumbledore," she shot back, shooting a disappointed look at Harry, who avoided her gaze by turning back to the woods.

Ginny, who had managed to no think about the young Malfoy since her dream four weeks ago was now trying her best not to look over in the direction of the young man. Unfortunately, while doing all of this, she had completely missed out of the conversation between the other three. When she finally came out of her thoughts, she realized that they were staring at her.

"What? What is it?" she asked.

Hermione glanced over at the woods, the same look that had been on her face the morning of Ginny's dream again on her face.

"We were going to follow him," she said, pointing in the direction Malfoy had disappeared.

Ginny jerked and shook her head.

"Why would you want to do something like that?" she asked quickly, causing Hermione's frown to deepen. The other two didn't notice it at all and started off to the woods.

"Because I don't trust Malfoy," Harry said over his shoulder. Ron nodded and the two continued on their way. Ginny hesitated then followed reluctantly along with Hermione, who again decided against saying anything. They followed Malfoy's tracks for a while before they reached the fence between them and the Shrieking Shack. The fence had been destroyed in some areas, letting them know that Malfoy had indeed come through this way. They made it all the way to the house and moved to one of the broken windows to peer in. The whole time Ginny felt as if someone was watching them and had a bad feeling that this wasn't such a good idea.

"I can't see a thing," Ron said.

Harry frowned.

"We need to get in there," he muttered.

Hermione's eyes grew.

"Are you crazy? If all four of us show up in there without any idea of what we're walking into, who knows what could happen," she hissed.

Ron raised an amused eyebrow.

"This is coming from the girl who believes that Malfoy's harmless," he said. Hermione chose to ignore him. She dug into her bag and pulled something silvery out.

"My invisibility cloak?"

Hermione looked up at Harry and gave him an apologetic smile.

"You never know when it could be useful," she said before handing it to him. This time, Ron was the one to stop them.

"If something bad _is_ in there, Harry shouldn't be the one to go in. With Death Eaters and such after his head, it'd be a bad idea for us to just hand him over to them," he explained.

Hermione gave him a funny look before taking the cloak back from Harry, who looked upset at not being able to go.

"Fine then, I'll go," she said.

Ron grabbed for the cloak, shaking his head.

"I don't think so," he hissed.

"Ron, let go."

Ginny and Harry watched the two bicker for a moment before Ginny rolled her eyes, grabbed the cloak and threw it over herself.

"_I'll_ go," she said. Hermione didn't seem to have any argument with Ginny and nodded.

"Be back in fifteen minutes or we'll come in after you," she said after glancing over at a very upset Ron.

Before Ron and Harry could protest, Ginny walked around the corner and out of earshot. She looked around the rotting structure for an entrance and found a gaping whole where the basement window should have been. Glancing behind her quickly, she slid in through the hole, careful to avoid any glass. It took her a moment to grow accustomed to the darkness and when she did she looked around. She was in an old bathroom and judging by the smell, the last person to use it had definitely not been human. She picked her way around the uprooted toilet seat and slowly opened the door, peering out. When she saw nobody, she walked out and moved along the wall, careful to avoid any furniture or nails that would catch on the lightweight cloth. As she moved towards the basement stairs, she noticed a few paintings whose occupants had long since abandoned them.

Ginny looked up the stairs and listened for any voices but all she heard was the occasional creaking of wood as the wind blew by. Ginny watched her step as she ascended the stairs cautiously.

She finally reached the main floor and glanced around, noticing a few footprints on the ground. There were even some large dog prints and Ginny's mind immediately went to Sirius.

She moved to the stairs going up to the second level and could hear voices coming from one of the rooms above. She thought she heard someone begin to cry when there was a sharp crack.

_BAM!_

It took every ounce of energy in Ginny's body to keep from screaming out in shock when a young man came crashing down the stairs and collided into the wall near Ginny. She scrambled out of the way and fell behind an old rotting sofa. She peered around it in time to see five men come down the stairs. Three of them she recognized as Draco Malfoy, Gregory Goyle and Blaise Zabini. The others she had never seen before.

Malfoy looked extremely pissed.

The man who had tumbled down the stairs was now mumbling incoherently into the ground as if he were praying rapidly. He might as well have been praying.

"Pick him up," Zabini ordered from his spot beside Malfoy. Two of the men walked over and dragged the fallen man to his feet. The man's whole face was covered in blood from a bloody nose and a gash in his head from falling down the stairs. Ginny recognized him from her frequent visits to the Ministry over the summer, but did not know his name. He wasn't much older than Ron, but had jet black hair like Harry and wide terrified brown eyes.

The man gazed up at Malfoy with regret in his eyes.

"Draco… I didn't know! I swear I didn't know! Please don't kill me!"

Malfoy didn't look at all convinced. In fact, if anything, he looked angrier.

"Who told you to come here?" he asked carefully.

"Draco, I swear I didn't know! I swear! Just don't kill me!"

"This isn't the time to beg for your worthless life," Zabini sneered.

"Please! Please!"

Malfoy nodded his head curtly and two of his men picked the man up while Goyle punched the man in the stomach, causing his eyes to bulge and a strangled gasp to escape his lips. Ginny closed her eyes as blood sprayed from his lips as he begged for Malfoy to spare him.

"Draco, I swear I didn't! I was just following orders! Please! Please!"

"Who told you to come here?" Malfoy demanded coldly. "I don't want to hear your asinine excuses."

Ginny heard someone snivel and realized that the man was crying through the blood. He reached out for Malfoy's leg but one of the men Ginny didn't recognize punched the man in the head and he fell to his face, funny noises escaping his lips as he started to sob.

"Please… I swear," he mumbled, cringing pathetically.

"Who told you to come here? Was it Warrington?" Malfoy asked again, his voice deceptively calm. At the mention of the sixth year boy, Zabini's eyes darkened and he moved over to the man on the floor, grabbing him by the hair and yanking him up. Zabini's fist came around so fast that it took everything in Ginny's power not to yelp in surprise. There was a crack as the man's face collided with the small antique table at the staircase base. The table collapsed and the man screamed in pain. Zabini continued to hit the unfortunate man mercilessly. Ginny pulled herself up against the side of the couch so that she could not see what was happening, but she could not block out the cries that escaped the man's lips as Zabini pummeled him. The man begged for Malfoy to make Zabini stop but Malfoy remained silent for what seemed like forever. Ginny was actually beginning to panic.

What would happen if they found her?

Would they beat her as well?

"That's enough, Blaise," Malfoy finally said.

Ginny could still hear more gasps as the Slytherin continued his onslaught.

"Blaise, that's enough!" Malfoy hissed, irritation evident in his cold voice.

Ginny took a deep breath before looking around the couch to see Zabini step away from the man on the floor and place himself back beside Malfoy, who did not bother glancing in the angered boy's direction. Instead, he continued his questioning as if the whole beating had never happened.

"Tell me who told you to come here," he said coolly, looking straight forward at the front door.

The man let out a sort of choked groan but he remained on the floor bleeding, not looking at Malfoy.

Ginny was surprised that the young man was still even conscious.

Upon realizing that the man had no intention of giving up whatever information he required, Malfoy sighed and signaled for the others to leave. Zabini smirked and walked out the front door with the other three.

The moment they were gone Malfoy walked down the rest of the stairs and stood before the sniveling man with disdain.

"Get up, Dervus," he ordered.

The man remained where he was.

Malfoy sighed again and checked his watch impatiently.

"Dervus, I don't have all day," he growled dangerously. "Get up."

Ginny watched as the man slowly got to his shaky feet, eyes down. He continued to make a sort of wheezing sobbing noise that seemed to annoy Malfoy even more.

"And don't snivel, it's not becoming of you," he snapped as the man struggled to his feet.

Ginny wanted to go over there and punch Malfoy in the face in that instance, but it took a lot of will power not to. Instead, she bit her lip and remained quiet, especially when Malfoy's hand shot out and snatched Dervus's throat, squeezing it.

"_Who_ told you told you to come here?" Malfoy asked again.

Dervus clawed at Malfoy's hand pathetically as he gasped for breath. Ginny was afraid that if Malfoy squeezed any harder the boy's eyes would pop out.

"Please, Draco!" he rasped. "I didn't know she was here! I swear I didn't!"

Ginny frowned.

_She?_

"Who told you?"

"Please!"

In a bout of anger, Malfoy slammed the man's head into the wall near by and the man crumpled to the ground in a blubbering, bleeding heap. Ginny let out a squeak in horror and Malfoy froze. He glanced around the room and for one frightful moment Ginny saw his eyes rest on where she lay, paralyzed. He then turned back to Dervus, who was still wheezing on the ground.

"I'm only going to ask you one more time and then I'll take you back to Malfoy Manor and have you answer to Judas," Malfoy growled. "_Who told you to come here_?

The man let out a whimper and then another strangled sob.

Malfoy pulled out his wand, pointing it at Dervus and suddenly the man threw himself at Malfoy's feet, his hands over his head and his choked sobs filling the room.

"Warrington! Warrington told me!" he cried, tears mixing with blood as he sobbed out his pathetic explanation. "He said he overheard you talking to Zabini about her and he told me to check it out. I didn't know she was here, Draco, I swear I didn't! Please, you have to believe me! You have to! I was only doing what I was told! I was only doing what I was told!"

He continued to bawl and moan at Malfoy's feet while the blonde boy backed away, disgusted at the pathetic display before him.

In all her life, even during the war, Ginny had never seen such a horrifying scene before her. Here was a man, who she had thought to be elitist and tough when she had seen him at the Ministry, completely broken down to nothing more than a crying, pleading mess.

Was Malfoy more dangerous than they had believed him to be?

Malfoy was silent for a while, which made the time when he did speak even more dangerous.

"Warrington?"

"Yes!" Dervus blubbered through the blood that ran down his face. "I swear, Draco! I swear!"

Malfoy took a deep breath and glared at the man.

"You better swear, Dervus. Because if I find out you're lying to me and that you just came up here for your own curiosity then I swear I'll find you and deal with you myself," Malfoy growled before kicking the man over. "Tell that bastard that there's nothing here. If anyone else comes here then I'll kill you."

Dervus let out a noise that sounded somewhere between a sob and a gasp of utter relief.

"I will! Thank you, Draco! I swear I won't come up here again!" he said as he dragged himself to the door. "Thank you!"

"This doesn't mean you won't be punished Dervus," Malfoy said, stopping the young man cold in his escape. A total look of dread flooded the man's paling features as he let out another sob.

"Draco," he groaned.

Malfoy offered no pity in his face.

"You are Warrington's top man, aren't you?"

Dervus nodded pathetically, his pain stricken face full of fear.

"Well then, after Blaise is finished with you I want you to return to being just that," Malfoy said, looking down at him with aversion. "I know Warrington's planning something to get me out of my position in Slytherin and I need you to give me the information that he's planning."

Dervus sniffled.

"Draco," he moaned. "What am I supposed to tell Warrington?"

Malfoy's eyes gave away nothing.

"Think of something, Richard. You're good at telling lies," Malfoy said, but the look he gave Dervus clearly said 'but you better not have told me any'.

Ginny would have thought that the boy would have wanted to get out as fast as he could but he had one more question.

"What's going to happen to Warrington?"

Malfoy's head snapped to Dervus as if the boy had just said something offensive.

"Warrington will be dealt with in due time," he growled. "He's too ambitious for his own good." He left it at that as he turned away from Dervus.

Knowing that the conversation was over, the man disappeared out the front door, leaving Malfoy to stand there.

"Come out here, Weasley," he suddenly said. Ginny's eyes widened and for a moment her heart froze as well. He turned to face the room she was in.

"I know you're there. It's either you or Potter and I swear if it's Potter," he growled, leaving the rest to her imagination.

She hesitated for a moment before pulling the cloak off of her and standing up. For a spit second surprise passed over Malfoy's face before he managed to cover it up with the typical expressionless mask.

"The little Weasley. Where's Potter, Weasel and the Mudblood?" he demanded angrily, approaching her. She backed up and pulled out her wand, glaring at him.

"They're out side, expecting me to reappear in five minutes, so you better not try anything," she replied just as coldly.

Malfoy looked as if he were about to just deal with her when a small noise came from the staircase.

"Draco?"

He froze and she frowned. His eyes left hers and went over to the stairs where a small girl stood. She was no more than five, in nothing more that an oversized Slytherin shirt. What shocked Ginny was the little girl's curly red hair and sparkling blue eyes that stared at the both of them with confusion.

Ginny opened her mouth to speak to the girl but Malfoy cut her off.

"Rayne, go upstairs now," he ordered in a surprisingly soft voice.

Instead of listening to him, the little girl's eyes traveled to Ginny's face and hair.

"Are you Ginny?"

Ginny nearly tripped over herself when the girl mentioned her name. Not even Malfoy's said her name. How did the little girl know who she was?

She turned to Malfoy to see that, to her surprise, his skin had colored slightly. Not enough to change it from its natural paleness, but enough for Ginny to see the effect the little girl's words had had on him. He walked over to the little girl and pointed up the stairs.

"Upstairs, now," he said.

"Is he gone?"

Malfoy, for some reason, glanced back at Ginny before looking down at the girl.

"Rayne, upstairs," he said.

The little girl frowned but did as she was told, leaving the two alone in the dark room.

"What the-"

Ginny found herself slammed against the wall; Malfoy's face only a hairsbreadth from hers.

"If you tell anyone about what you saw, I swear Weasley, I'll-"

"You'll what? Knock me out? _Kill_ me?" Ginny asked. She didn't know where this was coming from, but she felt that if she acted stronger than she felt at that moment, things might go better for her than it did for Dervus.

Malfoy's eyes examined her for a moment. She was strong, he gave her that, but he also knew that one day that would get her into a lot of trouble. This could possibly one of those days.

_Bloody Weasleys. Can't they ever stay out of anyone's business?_

He pulled her away from the wall and shoved her to the front door. He scooped up the cloak she had dropped and forced it into her arms.

"Get out and if I see you or the Golden Trio anywhere near this place during the year, I'll find you and make you wish you'd burn," he snarled, propelling her out the door and slamming it behind her.

Ginny stood there for a moment, shocked at what he had just said. Had it been an ordinary warning from a cruel Slytherin, or was it a reference to the dream she had had? _They_ had had…

She could feel her heart beating loudly as she slipped under the cloak and hurried around the structure to find Harry, Ron and Hermione standing around the hole Ginny had used to get into the Shack, wands at the ready. Harry and Hermione seemed to be debating on whether or not it was time to go in yet.

"Give her two more minutes, Harry. She might have found something," Hermione said.

"There's nothing in there."

Even as she said that, an image of the little girl with curly red hair and bright blue eyes flashed in her mind.

_Why would Malfoy be keeping a little redhead at the Shrieking Shack?_

The three turned to see her shed the cloak.

"What do you mean there's nothing in there?!" Ron demanded. "We saw Zabini and thee other tossers walk out of there and then we saw Richard Dervus come staggering out of there as if he had been mauled."

_Shit_, Ginny thought.

"Umm… well, I didn't see what happened. I saw them come down the stairs and walk out."

"What about Dervus?"

Ginny frowned.

"How do you know who he is?"

Ron glanced over at Hermione, who was staring at him too as if she had just realized what he had said.

"Yes, Ron, how _do_ you know who he is? You didn't mention anything when he came out," she said, looking a little disappointed that he had not told her anything before.

Ron looked around and then rolled his eyes.

"None of you know who Richard Dervus is?"

When they did not respond, he sighed.

"He used to be an intern at the Ministry. A sort of suck up if you ask me. Bill figures he has a really large pipe stuck up his-"

"Ron!"

He shot Hermione a look before continuing.

"_Anyway_, he worked for Warrington's father for a while," he said.

"Warrington? As in Cole Warrington?" Harry asked.

Ron nodded.

"Yeah, the very oaf," he said. "Dervus and Warrington got chummy and rumor is Dervus is returning to Hogwarts to finish his final year. You know how some were saying that Warrington was trying to get some sort of standing over Malfoy. Well, I hear that Dervus is Warrington's right hand man."

Hermione gave him a funny look.

"How do you know all of this?"

Ron shrugged.

"Dad has to deal with Warrington sometimes. He hears things about the man and tells me sometimes," he said. "Supposedly, Dervus's head is so far up Warrington's arse that the two are practically inseparable."

"Ron," Hermione scolded, not enjoying the images Ron set up in their minds.

Ginny had a feeling that Dervus's allegiance to Warrington wasn't as strong as people believed it to be. And judging by the look on Malfoy's face when he realized that it had been Warrington who had sent Dervus, it seemed that Malfoy's hatred for the sixth year had grown in the past fifteen minutes.

"Well, it looks as if he's in a bit of trouble with Malfoy," Harry put in. Ron smirked.

"He looked like shit when he came out, didn't he?"

Hermione looked upset about the way they were talking about this.

"He looked like he was in a lot of pain, Ronald. It's not something to laugh about," she scolded hotly.

Ginny glanced around, not wanting to stay around here too much longer. If Malfoy was capable of doing all of that by himself, she didn't want to know what would happen if his cronies showed up.

"Look," Ginny said suddenly. "We really should go."

This time it was Harry who picked up on her slight distress.

"I thought you said there was nothing in there," he said suspiciously.

Ginny straightened herself and tried to not glance around even though she had a feeling they were _definitely_ being watched now.

"Nothing worth worrying ourselves over," she corrected, knowing that if they saw that much, there was no way of hiding the fact that Draco Malfoy was still in that building.

"Well, what was Malfoy doing?" Ron asked eagerly.

Ginny frantically jogged her brain for information that would make them want to forget the whole thing. Suddenly it came to her and even she cringed just to think about it.

"He's in there with Pansy Parkinson," she blurted out and instantly looks of disgust washed over the three others. Hermione let out a funny sound and began to walk off towards Hogsmeade.

"I told you he was harmless!" she said over her shoulder. "He is still the same pompous, pratish, insufferable, detestable, randy ass we knew during the war." She muttered a few other things about men and their inability to let things go.

Ron followed after.

"You say that as if you just won something!" he called after her. "I would have rather heard that he was plotting something than hear that he's in there shagging Pansy Parkinson!"

"Oh please, Ronald, you were ready to go barging in there just to _prove_ that he was in there. If Ginny had found him clipping his toenails you would have guessed that he was continuing the work of Voldemort!"

Ginny rolled her eyes and turned to Harry, who looked disappointed but also annoyed.

"You're sure he's not doing anything else? You didn't hear anything about Dervus?"

Ginny shook her head.

"By the time I got in there, whatever happened between him and Dervus was over and Pansy was going up the stairs. I took so long because the cloak got caught on some wood then I couldn't get out the same way I went in so I had to find another way out," she explained. He glanced over at the Shack, sighed and walked off after Ron, who was still badgering Hermione about how she had reacted to the news.

Ginny remained where she was for a moment, very aware that she was being watched. She looked up at the top window to see Malfoy standing there, looking down at her. For a moment they just stared at each other then he disappeared behind the curtains. Ginny shivered at the look and hurried after the three, not wanting to be left alone.

But even as she walked through the woods and back into Hogsmeade, she could not help but think of Malfoy and the little girl, Rayne. He had attacked Dervus because he had seen Rayne and perhaps done something else to the little girl.

She had never seen Malfoy become so protective over any living person like that before. Did the he actually care about that little girl?

She glanced over at Hermione, who was trying her best to ignore Ron while they entered the Three Broomsticks.

Ginny wanted so much to tell her about what she had seen, but knew that if she said anything Hermione would then feel obligated to tell Ron. Ron would probably lose his temper and explode upon hearing that Ginny had in fact run into Malfoy while in the Shrieking Shack. Then Harry would be dragged into the whole thing and Ginny preferred if that did not happen.

_I'll just have to tell Luna when I see her_, she told.

**A/N: I hope you enjoy this one!**

**harrypotterchick4ever:** Glad you liked it!

**Elle:** Well, as long as I can keep on doing that, then I think I'm in the clear!

**stefanie51: **I'll try to update as quickly as possible, but I won't make any promises.

**Chapter Tease:**

_Ginny was just about to suggest that they go over to the left where many of the trunks had shifted when the cart door slammed open. _

_"Well, well, what have we here?"_

_The two sixth year girls whirled around to see Warrington standing there with four other sixth and seventh year Slytherins. Ginny immediately glanced over at Luna, who paled significantly at the sight of the Slytherin. _

_"What do you want?"_


	3. Crossfire

_Unless a man has trained himself for his chance, the chance will only make him look ridiculous._ -**J. B. Matthews**

* * *

Hermione stood on the platform, shaking her head as Ron and Harry trooped over to her, followed closely by Ginny who was glancing around frantically for Luna Lovegood.

"How is it that you two manage to topple over a crate full of canaries?" she asked reprovingly, moving out of the way as Ron set his stuff down besides hers.

Ron pointed at Harry, who was still getting rid of some droppings from his shirt.

"Ask him," he said, not wanting to get on Hermione's bad side at the beginning of their final year at Hogwarts. Hermione fixed Harry with a stern look and his eyes grew.

"What?"

Ginny chose to ignore the three, looking around the crowded platform for any sign of her blonde friend. Unfortunately, her eyes fell on a different blonde.

Malfoy stood off a few meters from where they were with his mother, Narcissa, and two Ministry officials Ginny had seen over the summer. They were all conversing intensely as they watched smaller children run by. Or rather, it seemed as if Narcissa and the officials were speaking and Malfoy was barely paying attention. He was also scanning the platform for someone and his eyes froze when they met Ginny's. She felt her cheeks burn from being caught staring and immediately looked away, focusing on the three near by.

"Isn't that Dervus?"

Ginny's attention was caught instantly and she turned in the direction that Harry was pointing.

"Harry, don't point, it's rude," Hermione reprimanded.

Harry shot her a look before turning back to look at where he had seen Richard Dervus.

The young man was standing off in a corner with seven others, including a very pissed Warrington, who kept glancing over at where Malfoy was standing with hatred in his eyes.

Dervus looked horrible.

His face was swollen, red and full of scars while one of his arms was in a sling. Other than that, surprisingly, he looked completely composed and ready to beat up the next first year that gave him a funny look. Apparently the cowering, pathetic man Ginny had seen only a day ago had remained in the Shrieking Shack. The one that was standing on the platform was the right hand man to Warrington and a firm hater of Draco Malfoy, who was ignoring the looks Warrington was shooting him. Instead, he gave his mother a kiss on the hand and entered the Hogwarts Express. Quickly following him was Zabini, Goyle, the two boys Ginny had seen at the Shack and Pansy Parkinson, who glided across the platform and onto the train as if she had practiced it several times before arriving.

"He still looks like he has a pipe stuck up his-"

"Ron!" Hermione snapped, hoisting up her bag and the cage Crookshanks was in. "Honestly," she huffed, shooting Ron a reproachful look before she marched off and disappeared onto the train. Harry gave Ron a sympathetic look before following Hermione.

"Temperamental she is," Ron muttered, trailing after Harry. Ginny gave the platform one more sweep for Luna before following her brother onto the train.

* * *

Draco stared out the window, watching the countryside shoot by as the other occupants in his compartment spoke quietly. For the first time in his life, Draco found that he was eager to get back to Hogwarts. He wanted to make sure that Rayne was okay. He would have asked the others about her, but with Parkinson and her friend in the compartment, he could do no such thing.

Pansy was good for one thing and one thing only and outside of that, he did not trust her at all. She was way too ambitious. Too conniving and _way_ too eager to get on Narcissa's good side. All of those qualities made an excellent Slytherin and an even better enemy. She would have taken the Dark Mark during the war, but she had been too young.

The other four, Zabini, Goyle, Rockwell and Valance were the only people in the world that Draco dared to trust and even then, it was only Zabini who knew the most about Malfoy, which was not saying much.

He turned to the others when he heard the mention of Warrington. They caught his look and hesitated before Rockwell spoke.

"Warrington's pissed about what happened to Dervus," he said.

Draco leaned back and pulled Pansy closer to him, loving the feel of her warm body against his.

"Warrington can go to hell," was his response.

Pansy looked down at Draco.

"What happened to Dervus?" she asked, her dark eyes burning for answers.

He matched her stare with an expressionless gaze.

"Pissed on me from a very short distance," Draco replied before pulling her onto his lap and kissing her.

Zabini rolled his eyes and turned to Valance. Draco knew that Zabini hated Pansy just as much as he hated Warrington, but for different reasons. Pansy was a nuisance as far as Zabini was concerned. Warrington, on the other hand, had earned Zabini's hatred in a very personal way. Or at least that's what Zabini called it. It was not really that personal.

During the War, Warrington had attacked a Ravenclaw girl that Zabini had a special interest in. Draco could not remember the name of the girl, only that she was an interesting young woman with long blonde hair, a dreamy smile and a heart worthy of the house Gryffindor, though she had never been appointed the position. Though Draco had no real liking of the girl, he understood Zabini's attraction to her and had said nothing against it. Unfortunately for the girl, Warrington had shared Zabini's attraction as well, especially during the war. Since then, Zabini's hatred for the sixth year brute had overtaken Malfoy's distaste for the boy. Malfoy just didn't like him because he wanted Malfoy's feared and coveted position over the Slytherins.

As Draco pulled Pansy closer to him so that he could feel every curve of her body, his mind wandered back to the platform where his eyes had met with the little Weasley's. There had been something in her eyes that had intrigued him, yet she had looked away so fast that he hadn't had time to carefully analyze it.

Ginny Weasley had become a growing fascination for him.

Ever since his dream, he had begun to think about her more often than he chose to admit to and this frustrated him to no end.

He heard Pansy moan and for some reason unknown to him, he pulled away from her and stood up, dumping her on the floor. He had a sudden need to get out of the compartment. He looked around and pointed to Zabini.

"Come on," he growled before leaving quickly. The others glanced down at an outraged Pansy Parkinson before returning to their own conversations. Draco was always moody. This wasn't unusual.

* * *

Ginny found herself walking down the tight walkway past several compartments, glancing into each one to see if she could find Luna. She had left the compartment Harry, Hermione and Ron had been in several minutes earlier after Ron and Hermione got into a heated conversation about only God knows what.

As she walked, her mind traveled back to her dream and how real it had been. She had never felt so scared and so cold in her life. And with the addition of Malfoy, her feelings about the whole thing had become so jumbled that she didn't know what to think.

"Hello, Ginny."

Ginny was shaken from her thoughts to see that she had run into Luna. She looked around to see that she had wandered all the way down to the baggage cart.

"Luna! I've been looking for you. What are you doing here?" she asked, watching as Luna moved away from her to a pile of trunks.

"Someone misplaced my schoolbag. I had a feeling it was back here," she replied in her dreamlike voice. Ginny frowned and looked around, trying to help out.

"Are you sure? I don't think we're allowed to be back here anyway," she said, shoving a trunk aside to get through to the others.

"Oh I'm sure, Ginny. It's always been back here," Luna stated, hopping on top of one trunk to get a better view. Ginny was just about to suggest that they go over to the left where many of the trunks had shifted when the cart door slammed open.

"Well, well, what have we here?"

The two sixth year girls whirled around to see Warrington standing there with four other sixth and seventh year Slytherins. Ginny immediately glanced over at Luna, who paled significantly at the sight of the Slytherin.

"What do you want?" Ginny demanded, moving over to where Luna stood and pulling out her wand.

Warrington noticed the look and smiled, stepping into the baggage cart with his cronies, allowing the door to close behind them.

"It's been a while since I've seen you two," Warrington said before his eyes traveled to Luna, who was now noticeably trembling.

Gone was the strong dreamy girl that Ginny knew and had grown to love and now was terrified girl, haunted by the memories of war.

"Leave us alone, Warrington," Ginny growled, moving so that she was between him and Luna.

Warrington advanced again, pinning the two between a high piles of trunks.

"Why? I'm just looking for a good time," he said in a voice that made even Ginny shiver.

"You picked the wrong time for that."

They all turned to see Malfoy and Zabini standing at the door, staring in. Zabini looked absolutely pissed while Malfoy had a much more restrained, uninterested look on his face. His eyes quickly scanned the situation, observing the number of people Warrington had with him before he spoke.

"Seriously, Warrington," he drawled lazily, leaning against the cool metal wall. "Taking on a Weasley already? I thought you were still learning how to use that wand."

Warrington turned to face Malfoy, clearly annoyed by the intrusion.

"Piss off, Malfoy. They're mine," he said.

Draco's eyes flickered over to Ginny before he smirked.

"Ah, well, seeing as they're _yours_, Warrington, I hope you won't mind me asking how they came across to be yours in the first place," he responded, motioning to Luna, whose eyes were now on something in the ceiling. He would have found the situation more hilarious if Zabini had not been so hell bent on hurting Warrington. "Because if I can remember correctly, the blonde didn't work out so well with you."

Draco could feel Zabini stiffen beside him but knew that the younger boy would not attack until Draco gave the order. Until then, Zabini would have to stew.

Warrington's eyes narrowed at Draco and he pulled out his wand.

"I'd watch my step if I were you, Malfoy. Your bodyguards have diminished significantly since the War and Zabini can't always be there to protect Narcissa's little boy," he sneered.

Ginny had a very bad feeling that things were about to go from bad to deadly in a matter of seconds if she did not do anything. As much as she hated to admit it, Malfoy was their only way of getting out of this thing safely.

Luna suddenly seemed to think that now was the perfect time to speak up.

"I hope it doesn't rain when we arrive," she said pensively as she looked out the window. "It's quite cloudy outside."

If it had been any other situation, Ginny would have laughed, but unfortunately, Luna's comment reminded Warrington that he had extra leverage over the other two Slytherins. He snatched Luna from behind Ginny and another boy grabbed onto Ginny before she could curse him.

Malfoy and Zabini raised their wands, but Warrington only smiled.

"Put it down, or I'll carve out this pretty little cheek of hers," he hissed, caressing Luna's skin with his wand. Luna's eyes closed and she seemed to be muttering something. Ginny on the other hand, looked slightly disgusted as the boy who was holding her ran a hand down her side to her thigh. Her eyes connected with Draco's, who still showed no emotion.

He actually smiled.

"Listen, Warrington. If you're finished playing 'who can shag the two little sixth years first', I might want to remind you of whom you're holding," he said.

Warrington grinned, running a hand down Luna's face. Zabini took a step forward and the other three in the cart held up their wands even more.

"I suggest you leave now, Malfoy."

"What is going on here?"

Ginny suddenly found herself released and grabbed Luna, pulling the girl to her right before Severus Snape appeared at the door. He quickly looked around and upon seeing the Ravenclaw and Gryffindor among the sea of Slytherins, there was no doubt in his mind about what had been going on.

"This area is off limits," he snapped, glaring at them all. None of them moved. Warrington, because he felt no need to cross paths with Draco and Draco because he didn't trust Warrington. Snape decided.

"Warrington! Get out!" he ordered. The sixth year and his group grudgingly left but not without sending a silent message to Malfoy to clear off. Snape then turned his gaze to Malfoy.

"I'm assuming there's an explanation," he said in a surprisingly calm voice for a man infamous for his sneering and all-round bad mood. Malfoy glanced over at Ginny and Luna before shaking his head.

"Blaise and I decided to take a breather. I was just about to take points from those two," he said, motioning to the girls. "When Warrington barged in. He seemed eager to join the party."

Snape glanced over at the girls then fixed Malfoy with a very knowing look.

"You better stay out of trouble, Draco," he growled quietly before stalking off, his black robes billowing behind him in a very Slytherin way.

There was a moment of silence between the two parties before Ginny grabbed Luna's arm and started for the door, eyes down.

"Come on, Luna," she squeaked. "We can look for your bag later."

Malfoy stopped them before they could get by.

"I don't think so, Weasley," he said, watching her carefully as color began to rise from her neck to her ears. "There are a few things we need to go over before we reach Hogwarts."

Ginny's eyes grew and she finally looked up to him. She knew what he was talking about. If he was about to threaten her, she was going to have none of it. Instead, she steeled herself up and tried to push through the two. Both Draco and Blaise moved in front of them, blocking the entrance with the same rigid, proud, straight back, neither glancing at the other.

It was then that Ginny saw very big differences between the two Slytherins. Draco's eyes were solid chips of ice in a grey storm, his face unbreakable and his mind untouchable whereas Blaise was much more passionate and forthcoming. However, judging by the way he beat up Dervus the other day, his passion was not just fixed with women. Also Blaise would not stare Luna in the eye where blonde Slytherin's gaze was unwaveringly intimidating.

"I promised I wouldn't say a word-"

"Oh shut up, Weasley," Malfoy snapped, glaring her into silence. He then turned to Zabini, who nodded and stepped to the side.

"It's time for you to leave, Luna," he muttered.

Luna looked slightly surprised that he said her name, but other than that paid no attention to him as she glided out of the compartment, leaving Ginny completely alone with Malfoy.

Ginny watched as Malfoy paced the small space for a while, every moment making her feel even more anxious and wary of his next actions. She had heard stories of Malfoy lashing out at girls for no reason at all and had a feeling he wouldn't hesitate once to hit her, a Weasley.

Finally he stopped and looked at her.

"Let me explain something to you, Weasley," he growled, advancing upon her. She stepped back until she hit a trunk. "If that girl's whereabouts become known to my mother, I swear that once I'm finished with Warrington, I'll come after you."

Ginny felt fear creep into her and glanced over at the door, hoping that he would leave.

"I told you­-"

Malfoy's hand shot up to her mouth and covered it.

"I'm not _finished_," he hissed, squeezing her jaw painfully beneath his long, thin fingers. When she didn't respond he looked over her. "I wanted to know…" To Ginny's surprise, he faltered and then released her, as if changing his mind. She remained where she was, contemplating him for a second before speaking.

"That dream," she whispered.

His eyes snapped to hers and in that instant she knew he had been there. He glanced out the door before grabbing her again and pulling her close.

"Don't you _ever_ mention that again," he snarled. "_Ever_."

She saw something flicker in his eyes and for an instant she thought it had been fear.

Was Malfoy afraid of what had happened in the dream?

Or was he afraid of something else?

Then she saw it again. His eyes flickered down to her lips and this time he moved closer to her, his breath mingling with hers as his eyes moved from her lips to her eyes. To Draco, she looked positively terrified, but he didn't care.

She could feel his lips touch hers and sudden panic kicked in. A gasp escaped her lips and then her eyes bulged open.

"I have to go," she muttered before squeezing out from between him and the trunk. Then, as quickly as she could, she fled the baggage cart, leaving a very disturbed Draco. He stood there for a moment, contemplating the thoughts that had just run through his head.

For the second time he had almost kissed Ginny Weasley and now he was pissed. Not with her, but with himself.

What was it about that little Gryffindor that had managed to get under his skin?

She was from a large breed of bloodtraitors, lower than dirt yet somehow still categorized as pure. She was constantly surrounded by her oaf of a brother, Potter and that intelligent little Mudblood who had punched him in his third year. He still had not forgiven her for that.

A long time ago, Draco had placed the redhead in a box of untouchables, not because of her family, though he hated the lot of them, but simply because if he allowed himself to become interested in the little firecracker he'd end up in a lot more trouble than he cared to be in.

There were several other girls of Hogwarts that he had deemed untouchable, such as that Ravenclaw Zabini had taken a fancy to, though his only reason for doing so was because she was friends with Potter. He had to admit, along with the rest of the male population of Hogwarts, that the little blonde was quite attractive and in her own right, stronger than they gave her credit for.

_Probably due to the fact that even though she's intelligent, she's a completely mental,_ he thought as he left the baggage cart and started down the tight hall, glowering at any first year that blocked his way.

Most of the other girls who had not been placed in that box had already had their one night with the great Draco Malfoy while others just dreamed of what it would be like.

His mind traveled to Pansy Parkinson, the only constant in his so called love life. She was beautiful and intelligent, he would admit that, but that was all. She had no personality. Well, actually she did, but Draco preferred to think of them more as instincts because they reminded him so much of his aunt, Bellatrix.

­_That's probably why you're so attracted to Weasley. She's the complete opposite of all the women in your life. _

Surprised by his own thoughts, Draco stopped abruptly. Two Hufflepuffs bumped into him and he glared each of them down until they scurried away. He then glanced down at his watch.

One more hour to go.

He would probably go find Parkinson and drag her into one of the bathrooms for a quick snogging session to get his mind off of the fact that he had just spent ten whole minutes thinking about Ginny Weasley. Hopefully the session with her would improve his temper greatly. Perhaps after a few more snogs and perhaps even a shag and the littlest Weasley would be nothing more than an unpleasant little blur in his memory.

**A/N: Very interesting... things are about to get _very_ interesting. **

**dristi:** Well, the next chapter is _very_ interesting, and I'm sure you'll love it.

**nextbestthing:** Thank you! I don't fully explain Rayne until much later. She appears in a few chapters, but I don't think I'll explain her completely until chapter 10 or so. But don't worry about her.

**harrypotterchick4ever:** I'm glad you think so!

**ronandmion4ever:** When I started doing this, I realized that I was going to have to start doing dialogue that contains both hateful, yet dignified tones. Draco is so fun to write, because you can sound so cold while still giving him something witty and dignified to say. It's awesome. I also like Draco because though you see him a lot in the books, there's not much to go on until the sixth book so you can really develop him into much more than just some cold heartless arse. :-)

**And don't any of you think that just because I'm doing this, I'm not going to finish any of my other stories. This is just something to get me a bit motivated again. I'll get back to them!**

**Chapter Tease:**

_"Run!"_

_Ginny sprinted after him, noticing that the thing in the woods took off after them. She saw Draco round the corner of the hut and heard a door slam shut. When she got to the front door, it was locked. _

_"Hey! HEY!" she screamed, banging on the door frantically. There was a roar and her heart nearly froze in terror. She pounded her fists against the door. "OPEN THE DOOR!"_


	4. A Renewed Interest

* * *

_Judge of your natural character by what you do in your dreams. _**-Ralph Waldo Emerson**

* * *

Three weeks had passed since the school year had started and fortunately things had gone back to normal. Ginny had no more strange dreams and every run in she had had with Malfoy ended with quick words of a hateful nature. Just the way it was supposed to be.

She and Luna had begun spending a lot less time with the trio and much more time with Dean, Seamus and Neville, who had surprisingly started to stand up for himself much more, especially with all things Slytherin, though to be honest, his dealings with Malfoy, had decreased significantly since the start of the year.

Other things that occupied Ginny's mind of course besides avoiding confrontations with Slytherins and Snape was Quiddich. She had been extremely pleased to see that the tryouts had begun almost immediately after school had begun and now she awaited practices with excitement. She had been unable to practice over the summer so she looked forward to the chance to reacquaint herself with the pitch.

Until then, she would have to make due with the wistful conversations she had with Luna as they walked down the halls together.

At that very moment she found herself going into breakfast, dreading the first class of the day. Potions.

She gave a small wave to Luna, who did not seem to notice it at all. That was partly due to the fact that her nose was buried behind the latest copy of the Quibbler. Ginny could not help but smile as a boy near by Luna gave her a funny look when the girl began to laugh at something she had read.

"Morning," she greeted as she sat herself between Dean and Hermione. Hermione did not reply. She was busy glaring silently at Ron, who was either ignoring her or just had not noticed though judging by the redness of his ears, Ginny had a feeling he knew that Hermione was staring at him. Ginny gave a questioning look to Harry, who was trying his best to ignore the two. When he caught her look he shook his head.

"Don't ask," he said.

Ginny smiled and busied herself with getting breakfast. It had been seven years since Ron and Hermione had met and ever since then the two had subjected everyone to their constant bickering and the drama of not being able to reveal their true feelings to the other. Ginny supposed it couldn't be too much longer before one of them finally snapped. However, judging by the way Hermione was glowering at Ron; it might turn out that the bushy-haired girl would just snap Ron into two pieces.

"Practice today," Harry muttered, glancing over at Ron, hoping that the redhead would say something. It worked. Upon hearing that, he immediately lifted his head and started into this huge speech about how he had thought up some awesome plays for the season, completely oblivious to the fact that Hermione now looked absolutely incensed. The Head Girl got up angrily and stalked off, muttering something about sticking Ron's broom somewhere where Ron would never be able to get it.

Ron watched her leave with a funny look on his face before he returned to his food. Ginny couldn't help but questioning him.

"What did you do?" she asked.

Ron, instead of answering, continued to eat. Ginny turned her question to Harry, but he shrugged, obviously having no idea himself. Sighing, Ginny turned to her food as well, joining in the conversation Dean was having with Lavender about whether Divination was actually worth taking in the long run.

It was not until there was a crash on the other side of the Great Hall did she finally look up.

"What's going on?" someone asked.

The question was answered soon enough when they saw Malfoy stand up swiftly along with his cronies to face Warrington and his group. Warrington looked extremely angry while Malfoy's face was masked with cold apathy. However, it seemed as if Warrington's anger wasn't necessarily directed to the Slytherin Prince, but rather to the boy standing next to him. Several of Warrington's guys seemed to be struggling to hold the large sixth year back while Goyle and Rockwell were trying to hold Zabini back as well.

"ZABINI!"

* * *

Draco was ignoring the others as Rockwell read the Daily Prophet. For the past two weeks it seemed as if some Mudbloods were being attacked in London. The perpetrators were said to be wearing Death Eater masks. Draco didn't need to hear the rest. He knew who was behind it and did not need to think about what his mother was orchestrating behind Malfoy Manor.

So instead, he chose to scan the Great Hall, his eyes stopping on the random Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw girl he had not noticed until recently.

As he did so, he was very aware of how close his group was to Warrington's and he had an inkling that if they did not leave soon, there would be a confrontation. Draco did not need a headache this early in the morning.

Malfoy's don't get headaches.

In the corner of his eyes he caught a wisp of red hair and he turned slightly to see Ginny Weasley enter the Great Hall. His eyes followed her and watched as she waved to someone at the Ravenclaw table near by before she sat herself down beside Thomas and the Mudblood. He pulled his eyes away from her and looked around his own table. He caught Blaise giving him a funny look before the boy looked away, continuing his conversation with Goyle.

Draco knew that Blaise knew about Draco's run in with the little redhead over the summer and he also knew that Blaise thought that Draco's recent hammering of the Weasley had nothing to do with Draco's hate for her family and everything to do with Draco trying to ignore his own growing fascination with the girl.

_Well, he can go screw himself_, Draco thought darkly. He had been successful in not thinking about the little Weasley for the past three weeks and other than the occasional exchange of biting words with her in passing, he had not spoken of her to anyone. He didn't need Blaise bringing up old memories.

Draco scanned the table again and noticed that Valance had just arrived. The boy caught Draco's look and gave him a curt nod before setting himself down between two fifth year girls who seemed all too enthusiastic to see him. Draco released the tense breath he had been holding for a while upon seeing the nod. Valance had just checked up on Rayne.

Once again Draco's eyes traveled over to the Gryffindor table where he noticed Granger get up. She did not look too happy.

_Probably something to do with Weasel King_, he thought before looking over at Ginny, who was frowning at the oaf.

When he had run into her at the Shrieking shack almost four weeks ago he had not bothered explaining why he was keeping a small girl that reminded him so disgustingly of the Weasley's with him.

The truth was, other than her detestable resemblance to the redheaded clan as well as her less noticeable but just as revolting resemblance to Granger, she was probably the only thing in Draco's life he felt was worth protecting, other than himself of course. He had found her earlier in the summer with Rockwell and soon after had come to see her as a little sister. He was well aware that Goyle, Zabini, Valance and Rockwell felt the exact same way though he knew they would never admit it.

Rockwell's reaction to Dervus's intrusion over the summer by sending the boy flying down the stairs was evidence of that.

Unfortunately, Draco had not had the opportunity to see her at all since the summer so he had been sending the others to go check on her for him. Even Snape, who had come to find her during an unannounced visit to Hogsmeade, checked on her once a week, though Draco knew that the Potions Master had very different reasons for doing so.

Snape knew her importance to Draco and knew that she needed to be kept hidden during the new Death Eater threat for Draco's sake.

Draco was brought out of his thoughts when Blaise commented rather loudly and rudely on the state of Catherine Attingwood, Warrington's current girlfriend, who had just passed by them on her way to Warrington. She was an attractive fourth year with a very pronounced chest and an even more pronounced rear. However, this particular moment she looked as if she had just climbed out of a bag of frogs. There were warts all over her arms and neck and a few on her face.

_Pansy's doing no doubt_, Draco deduced quietly, noticing the black haired witch sniggering evilly at his side.

Warrington must not have appreciated the comment because there was a crash as his goblet made contact with the floor.

_Here we go_, Draco thought before he unenthusiastically stood up with Blaise when Warrington got up to come over.

"ZABINI!" he roared. Apparently, he was _very_ upset about the comment.

By now everyone's attention was focused on the Slytherins as Warrington and Blaise glared daggers at each other. Draco personally didn't care if the two fought. He knew perfectly well that Blaise could beat the larger Slytherin easily. But he also knew that Blaise would have to be given detention by Snape and then he wouldn't be any good to Draco.

"Sod off, Warrington," he drawled. "Or I'll have to take points."

He would have never though he would ever say that, but he did. He would take points from his own House just to teach Warrington a lesson. Slytherins didn't like it when one of their own lost points for them, especially if it was for attacking a fellow house member.

People were starting to glance nervously over at the teachers, who were watching tentatively. Snape was standing, watching Draco with a small hint of worry in his eyes. Draco was well aware that the Head of Slytherin needed Draco to stay out of trouble, but to be perfectly honest; Draco was finding that as hard to do as Potter found it hard to stay out of the bloody papers. Dumbledore looked over at them through his half-mooned spectacles with a funny smile on his face.

_Senile, half-witted old fool_, Draco thought. _What could he possibly be smiling about?_

Fortunately for them, or maybe unfortunately, Hermione Granger had chosen that time to come back into the Great Hall. Upon seeing what was going on, she squared her shoulders and marched over to them, pushing her way through the Slytherins, or rather they made way for her, not wanting her to touch them. She made it to the middle of the fight and glared at both parties.

"I'll take more than just points away if you two don't put away your wands," she said sternly, pulling out her own wand menacingly. "I said put them down."

Draco had to admit, the Mudblood had a lot of courage to step between two very pissed Slytherins ready to destroy the other. He blamed it on spending too much time with Potter. You spend so much time with a boy who'll barge into a Death Eater meeting unarmed while they're all lusting after his blood and something starts to rub off.

After a glance at Snape, who looked ready to break the thing up himself, Malfoy stood up straighter, lifting his chin in the air with an air of superiority and turned on his heel.

"We were just leaving," he said, an unmistakable trace of commandment in his voice. Zabini immediately shrugged off Goyle and Rockwell and the three followed after Malfoy, closely trailed by Valance, Pansy and six others.

Warrington, however, did not seem to think that it was over until he got the last word in.

"Watch your back, Malfoy! You've fewer allies than you think!"

"So do you, Cole," Malfoy said over his shoulder before leaving a very quiet Great Hall.

_

* * *

_

This time there were no screams.

_And there was no fog. _

_Ginny could tell that she was standing by the lake of Hogwarts, barefoot once again. She looked around but there was no one there. Just the distant castle and Hagrid's hut. She decided to walk toward it but stopped when she heard a splash. Looking back she saw the water ripple as if something had just fallen into it. Frowning, she turned to go up to the castle when she heard a second splash. This one much closer than the one before. She turned to see what it was, but came up with nothing. _

_Biting her lip, she approached the edge of the lake and peered in, trying to see anything through the murky darkness. _

_There was another splash and she looked over to the other side of the lake. _

_SWOOSH!_

_Ginny was yanked under the water so quickly that she didn't even have a chance to catch a breath. Something grabbed her hands and kept her still from struggling as she tried to fight her invisible attackers. One appeared in front of her and if she had air in her lungs she would have screamed. _

_It was basically a small, hairless body with a very large head. The arms and legs were connected with large flaps of scaly skin and the fingers were webbed. But it wasn't that that scared Ginny. It was the face. Or lack thereof. _

_It was the largest mouth she had ever seen. Long, white, sharp teeth laughed at her as the thing opened and closed it continuously. There were four small green eyes on the top with no pupils, staring at her and everything else as it snapped at her. Then it lunged. _

_She heard someone jump into the water and saw someone come toward her. Whatever had her left her immediately and rushed over to the other person. Ginny swam to the surface, gasping for air as she tried to look for the person. _

_There was a sudden explosion in the water and she saw three tiny creatures come flying out of the water and disappear into the woods. Draco Malfoy appeared shortly after at the surface, sucking in air as he tread the water. _

"_What the hell, Weasley?" he asked angrily. "Why is it that every time I finally get a decent dream, I wind up in the water with you?"_

_Ginny shot him a nasty look as she swam to the shore and dragged herself out, sitting down on the muddy bank to watch Draco stagger out, his dark robes saturated with water. _

"_How am I supposed to know, Malfoy? It's not like I'm planning this," she snapped, swiping a lock of wet hair out of her eyes. Draco stared down at her for a moment before looking around, tucking the wand he had been carrying in to his robes. _

"_How did I get all the way over here?" he muttered, his eyes on the Quiddich pitch in the distance. Ginny looked around as well. _

"_What were those things?" she asked. _

_Draco looked down at her as if she was crazy. _

"_You're serious?" When she did not respond, he let out a chilling laugh. "A creation of the Dark Lord," he said with a sneer. "Fleshsnipers. Ravenous little bastards, the lot of them."_

"_Fleshsnipers?" Ginny asked incredulously._

_Draco shrugged, his eyes now on the woods in which those little monsters had disappeared. _

"_Doesn't really matter what they're called," he said slowly. "They'll eat the flesh right off of you in a matter of seconds the moment they have a firm hold of you."_

_Ginny shivered at the thought of what they might have done to her if Draco hadn't come. He must have been thinking along the same lines because he suddenly began to move towards Hogwarts._

"_This isn't safe," he said over his shoulder. Ginny turned to follow him but stopped short when she saw something in the woods. _

"_What is that?" she asked, pointing to it. _

_Draco stared at it for a moment before taking off for Hagrid's hut. _

"_Run!"_

_Ginny sprinted after him, noticing that the thing in the woods took off after them. She saw Draco round the corner of the hut and heard a door slam shut. When she got to the front door, it was locked. _

"_Hey! HEY!" she screamed, banging on the door frantically. There was a roar and her heart nearly froze in terror. She pounded her fists against the door. "OPEN THE DOOR!"_

_It opened and Draco yanked her in before slamming the door again and locking it. There was a thud and then a screech as the creature on the other side began to throw its weight at the door which was beginning to crack under the increasing blows. _

"_We're going to die," Ginny whispered to herself as the door began to splinter. Draco began looking around the hut, shoving chairs out of his way as he moved._

"_For once I'd like to not dream of death," he muttered to himself darkly as he searched for a place to hide. When he found what he was looking for he grabbed Ginny and shoved her into a small closet at the back of the hut, going in with her. He had just shut the closet door when the front door burst open. _

_Ginny screamed when she heard the horrible noise the creature made, but Draco managed to stifle it with his hand. She stared at him through wide terrified eyes as the thing moved around outside. It was then that he realized how tight the space he had placed them in was. Their dripping wet bodies were pressing against each other and their faces were so close that Ginny could feel and hear Draco's ragged breathing as they both tried to stay silent. _

_They could hear the creature moving around in the hut, searching for them and all they could do was stare at each other, waiting for it to leave. _

_Finally they heard the thing let out another cry and then trudge out of the hut. _

_Ginny was eager to get out, but was trapped by Draco's taller, stronger body which was right up against hers, blocking the closet door. _

_For Draco, he wanted to wait a few more minutes just to make sure that the thing had gone. However in those minutes, his mind went from the creature to the girl in front of him. With both of their wet bodies pressing together in the tight area, it was becoming painfully obvious to him, especially to certain parts of him, that Ginny Weasley was starting to become much more than an unpleasant acquaintance. Their close proximity and heavy breathing was doing things to him that he would rather not think about as he stared into her bright brown eyes. He decided that now was the time to remove his hand from hers, but as he did so he could have sworn he felt her lips move along with his fingertips before she released a small gasp. _

_Ginny let out a squeak when she felt Draco move closer to her. She found herself pressed up between him and the wooden wall behind her as she watched his lips move close to hers. _

_For a split second Draco felt Ginny's body seize at his touch, but the next moment he felt her relax and move closer, her smaller body molding perfectly with his tall frame as he deepened the kiss. _

_Kissing Draco Malfoy was like nothing Ginny had ever been prepared for. Unlike the other boys she had dated, he was unpredictable and that was one of the things that terrified her about this. Draco, on the other hand, was completely ignoring the screaming voice in his head that continuously reminded him that she was a Weasley. _

_This should not be happening at all… _

_But he couldn't help but pull her closer, enjoying the feeling of her body against his. _

_Draco had kissed many girls during his time at Hogwarts. Too many for him to bother counting. However, this one little Weasley was making more of an impression on him in these few seconds than any girl had made upon him in the nights he had spent deflowering them. His body reacted to her seamlessly, her curves more pronounced as he ran his hand along them. He heard her gasp as his lips left hers and moved down to her neck. He felt her tremble under his touch the moment his cool fingers made contact with her burning skin and he smirked when he felt her whimper in protest. _

_Ginny couldn't breathe. _

_Everything about the Slytherin was suffocating her as the little closet filled quickly with hot charged air. His lips on her neck were driving her insane, the sensuality overwhelming her senses and sending pleasurable shockwaves up and down her back, something she knew she shouldn't be enjoying. Her heart fluttered dangerously as their bodies pushed together, trying to get every bit of contact possible. The fear Ginny felt for Draco combined with the frustration that had been building unnoticed inside of Draco for most of the summer exploded around them, transferred into something that both felt very wrong and all together very right._

_Only to get a bit of control back, Ginny pushed his mouth away from her neck, but he moved quickly and their lips connected again, sending her into another whirlwind of panic and pleasure as his hands moved over her with the skill only Draco Malfoy could have. _

_Finally when things seemed to be overwhelming both of them Draco pulled away, resting his hands at her hips to keep some sort of control of the very baffling situation. _

_Through the darkness Draco could see that Ginny's face was flushed and her eyes filled with the same confusion that now coursed through his entire body. He stood straight, or as straight as the closet would allow; his eyes watching her, but no emotion cracking over his face. The only betraying sign that he had been anywhere near affected by what had just happened was the pounding pulse Ginny could see at his neck and it made her feel even more confused. _

_How could he be so composed after something like that?_

_But like the last dream before either person could utter a word the closet was jolted and everything disappeared into nothing._

* * *

Ginny sat up in her bed, eyes bulging as she gasped for air. She looked around her dormitory quickly before pulling the curtains of her four post bed shut.

She could feel the panic rising in her and tried her best to stop shaking as her mind continued to flash images of Draco kissing her. She reached up and touched her lips cautiously and could feel that they were swollen.

It had happened.

Draco Malfoy had kissed her.

And she had enjoyed it…

* * *

Draco paced his large Head Boy room feverishly, cursing himself for what had happened.

He had woken up drenched in water, breathing heavily and feeling the same confusion that plagued him now as he wore down the Slytherin sealed rug.

He hadn't been thinking when he'd kissed her and now he was certain that he had lost his mind.

What the bloody hell was he _thinking_?

Even if it had just been a dream, though judging by the scent of cinnamon that still lingered on his robes he knew it had not been, it had been foolish of him to kiss her. No scratch that.

It had been completely suicidal!

Warrington wasn't the only one who had it in for Draco. He had been getting news through very reliable sources (including a very cooperative Richard Dervus) that his father was indeed alive and plotting the return of the Death Eaters with out him.

In simple terms, Lucius was pissed with Draco and wanted Draco to suffer.

If Draco allowed himself to get close to Ginny that would force him to have to eventually bring her whole rotten family into it, which would then bring in Potter and he would do everything in his power to avoid that scenario.

If Lucius found out that Draco had been having dreams with the little Gryffindor let alone having kissed the wretch Draco would be dealt with quickly and painfully.

Pain was the only thing Draco detested more than Harry Potter.

With a frustrated sigh he turned to his large owl, Judas and ran a hand over his face. What was it about the littlest Weasley that got such a rise out of him? No other girl had ever managed to procure such confusing thoughts that surged around in his mind as she had.

Ginny Weasley was a problem.

For the past three weeks he had managed to keep her off his mind and now, the very memory of her touch was driving him mad.

He was very aware that after the war he had been much more free to chose the women he wanted, that had included the untouched batch of Gryffindor girls who had been so attractive yet so heavily guarded by dim-witted Gryffindor males who saw Draco not only as a threat to security, but a threat to the overall status of Gryffindor.

"Tossers, the lot of them," Draco grumbled resentfully.

But even after all of that, Draco had decided that certain Gryffindor girls simply weren't worth the trouble. That included Ginny, though as he had said earlier, she was one person who would bring trouble for him. That was something Draco already had enough of.

Once again he found himself pacing the floor, his mind racing through ways to deal with the problem he had created for himself. But all that would come was the feeling of the redhead's body against his and the look in her eyes after they had stopped.

_Damn it,_ he thought, shoving a chair out of his way and sitting down on his couch.

Ginny Weasley had successfully wormed her way back into Draco's mind once again and this time no amount of snogging or shagging would get rid of that.

**A/N: I'll answer reviews in the next chapter**


	5. Unwanted Pleasantries

_There is a fine line between dreams and reality, it's up to you to draw it._ **-B. Quilliam**

* * *

Draco continued up the hill with Goyle and Zabini flanking him. They had just taken a very silent walk around the lake to let Zabini cool off and were now on their way past Hagrid's hut. Zabini and Warrington had just gotten into another very dangerous confrontation in the Slytherin common room and this time Warrington had threatened the little Ravenclaw blonde Zabini was so protective of.

"If I see him near her I'll stuff that wand of his down his throat," Zabini growled.

Draco smirked, keeping his eyes ahead of him to make sure they were not crossed by any unpleasant company. He found Zabini's affection for the girl rather humors, mostly because he highly doubted, until recently, that the girl even knew that Zabini existed.

_She probably hasn't realized that she's started to attract quite a bit of attention from the male community at Hogwarts_, Draco thought, his smirk widening.

"I'm not sure Snape would appreciate having to explain that to Dumbledore, no matter how much he hates Warrington," he drawled.

"I don't care what Snape thinks. That little shit touches her and I'll make him wish he'd been born a girl."

Goyle snickered and Draco sighed. They had just passed Hagrid's hut when a small group of Gryffindor girls appeared from the woods, obviously coming from the woods where classes had just ended.

His mind immediately went back to the redhead who he had not seen since his dream. That had been almost a week ago. Now images of her filled his mind as he spoke.

"What is it with you and that Ravenclaw? She's the most unusual thing that's ever had the misfortune to become friends with Potter," he said, shoving his fists into his robes as he strode along.

Zabini shrugged but did not reply. Instead he continued to walk. He had no interest in explaining himself to Draco if Draco had no interest discussing his fascination with Weasley's little sister.

"Hello Draco," one of the Gryffindor girls greeted. One of her friends nudged her and whispered, "You shouldn't talk to him. He's dangerous."

Goyle overheard and grinned.

"They have no idea," he said. Zabini smiled as well as the girls hurried ahead, glancing back occasionally to catch a glimpse of Slytherin's Prince.

Suddenly, Draco wanted to be alone. He didn't know where it had come from, but he wanted to left alone to his thoughts, which had suddenly turned to a small redhead he had promised himself he would never think about.

"I'll see you two later," he said, clearly wanting them gone. Zabini shot Draco a curious look, knowing that the moment Draco wanted to be alone he was usually thinking about one of four things. Rayne. His father. Harry Potter. Or Ginny Weasley. Blaise just hoped that what ever the Slytherin was thinking didn't involve the small redheaded Gryffindor.

The two left quickly, leaving Draco to his thoughts as he started off towards the lake again. He needed to clear his mind of all things Weasley before going back to the castle. He didn't need to be distracted by asinine thoughts of the redhead.

When he reached the lake, he was immediately greeted by the irritating silence that accompanied him where ever he went. It was as if the small animals knew of Draco's unstable disposition and decided against showing themselves lest he take his mounting frustrations on one of them.

As he strolled by the lake, he caught sight of the giant gamekeeper and the Golden Trio on the opposite side of the lake. They seemed to be enjoying themselves as they conversed by the lake. He rolled his eyes as he continued to stroll past the line of trees that bordered the Forbidden Forest.

"What are you doing here?"

Draco turned around to see Ginny standing there, her bag on one shoulder and two rather large books in her hands. She did not look too happy to see him there.

"I believe I'm within my right to be here," he replied, his eyes roaming over her quickly before looking up at the sky with mild interest. Ginny shifted her weight to one leg.

"You always struck me as the type to torture small animals in the confines of your little dungeon sanctuary rather than enjoy nature," she commented, carefully distancing herself from him.

Draco rolled his eyes.

"Torturing small animals is in the firstie handbook, Weasley. I think I've moved up from that level," he replied disdainfully. He then looked her up and down again, as if trying to judge her. "I should ask you what _you're_ doing here. Don't you know that Slytherins are dangerous to be around, especially at this time?"

Ginny narrowed her eyes at him.

"Lots of talk for one willing to jump into a lake full of ravenous little monsters to save a Gryffindor," she shot back. She saw a flicker of recognition in his eyes before a sneer appeared.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Weasley. Perhaps you should reconsider spending time with Potter. I think he's started to get you to make unrealistic accusations," he growled, turning to leave. Ginny steeled herself up for what would come as she spoke the next words.

"Well, then. I suppose you wouldn't mind me telling _Potter_ about that little girl in the Shrieking Shack since it _obviously_ couldn't be true."

She didn't have time to react before Draco had her up against a tree, his long pale fingers curled menacingly around her throat. His stormy grey eyes were blazing as he glared at her.

"Go ahead, Weasley. I'll make sure you and him get to be roommates in the Permanent ward at St. Mungos," he growled.

"Let go of me!" Ginny screamed, trying to pry his fingers away from her, but he only squeezed harder. Her books and bag fell with a thud to the grassy earth, unnoticed.

"Scream one more time, Weasley," he warned. "Scream just one more time."

Ginny glared right back at him.

"The last time I screamed you knocked me down into the mud!"

Before he realized what he was saying he heard himself say, "You were going to get us both killed."

Ginny's eyes grew in surprise and she felt his grip lessen when he finally realized what he had just said. For a moment Draco just stared at her, at a loss for words then suddenly her hand connected with his face.

"What the hell?!"

Ginny hit him again in the chest, glaring daggers at him.

"The next time you decide to kiss me, don't!" she snapped, hitting him repeatedly. "You… insufferable… presumptuous… overzealous… egotistical… rat… _bastard_!" She accentuated each word with a blow to the chest.

Draco snatched both of her wrists in his hands and slammed them above her head. He moved closer to her to be sure that she could not escape.

"Let go!" she shouted, trying to wiggle free but that only made him move closer to her. "Let go!"

Draco had to admit, underneath it all, the girl had a lot of fire boiling. But he wasn't about to allow her to release it all on him. He didn't need a headache.

"Stop moving!" he hissed.

"Let go of me!" she cried.

He rolled his eyes and let out a suffering sigh. He decided to change tactics.

"You know Weasley, this whole thing would go by a lot faster if you only cooperated," he said, looking down into her angry blue eyes. She continued to try to get free and it was only then Draco realized how close they actually were.

"My life would probably a lot better if those things had chewed you apart," she retorted, realizing the same thing. She saw the realization flash in his eyes and then something else appear. The same contemplation that had been in his eyes before he had kissed her.

"Shut up, Weasley," he growled.

"Bite me," she snapped, making one last ditch attempt to get free. Draco's eyes ran over her face before they landed on her lips.

_What the hell is wrong with me?_

Those were the last words that ran through his mind before he captured her lips in his with a searing kiss. Ginny's eyes widened in surprise before they closed, her body succumbing to the elating feeling of the kiss as Draco released her hands so that his own could once again explore her, his need to feel her on his fingertips overpowering him. Her hands in turn fell to his arms, gripping them tightly as she pulled him closer to her, the feel of his well built body doing things to her that she would rather not analyze but enjoy. She sent a silent prayer of thanks to whoever invented Quiddich.

She felt herself drowning in the whirlwind that was building around them. His touch was bringing forbidden thoughts to her mind, but for some reason she found herself not caring.

Her scent, her taste, her feel, everything was like a drug to him that he couldn't get enough of. He ran his hands down her body, taking in the way it curved and dipped beautifully.

Draco smiled into her lips when he felt her shudder under his touch, her reaction amusing him. Bringing his lips away from hers, he dipped his head down to her neck. Ginny gasped at the action but shivered again as he sucked and kissed her fiercely, holding her close to him as he did. She felt one of his hands travel down past her hip to her thigh where he took hold of her leg and pulled it up to his side, pulling her impossibly closer at the same time. The hand that held her leg began to massage it tantalizingly, making Ginny whimper in protest, her grip on his arms tightening even further. He growled a warning, biting down hard on her soft luscious skin as he tried to assert dominance. Ginny yielded almost instantly, her body reacting with his perfectly.

This was what Draco had always wanted. A girl who didn't feel the need to fight him physically, but instead submitted to him as he needed. Yet, he could still hear the desperation to flee in her voice and could tell that he was overwhelming her by the way her chest heaved at his ministrations.

_Why did it have to be a Weasley?_

Every other girl he had ever been with had gotten it into their heads that the only thing Draco Malfoy wanted in a girl was an aggressive nature to match his own dominating behavior. Each snog had been a fight and every shag had been a war Draco had eventually won.

That wasn't what he had wanted.

He didn't want to have to think about having to fight his way through a kiss every time he brought a girl to his private room. All Draco wanted was the pleasure of having been able to explore freely, taking his time with every inch of the girl's body before finally satisfying himself.

Unfortunately, the only girl who had managed to completely plant herself under Draco's skin was the one girl, besides Granger, that he wanted to despise most of all. Yet, all he could think about was how unbelievably amazing she felt and how much he wanted more of that feeling. More of her…

He quickly shoved that thought to the back of his mind as he unclasped the clip of her school robes with one hand and reached up with both to shove them off her shoulders. He pulled away from her to take in the simple white blouse and Gryffindor skirt that graced her pale yet utterly gorgeous body. He watched as her chest moved up and down quickly, trying desperately to regain the air Draco had removed with a single touch.

These were the thoughts that would get him killed if he continued to let them enter his head, nevertheless, upon taking in her tousled hair, swollen lips, slender neck and frightened brown eyes, the suicidal thoughts continued to bombard him as he ran a hand down her neck to rest on the patch of skin that was beginning to bruise.

She watched him silently, afraid that if she spoke now he would hurt her for doing so.

Ginny had never been so confused and excited in her life.

Draco had brought about feelings within her that she had promised herself she would never have for the likes of him. The way he touched her and the way he treated her were such a major contradiction that she didn't know which side of Draco Malfoy to trust anymore.

He was an enigma. Everyone thought so. His moods were so unpredictable and his actions even worse that no one could completely judge his character. The young man that sneered at you was definitely not the young man who had just kissed her senseless.

She watched him continue to study her neck, where she could feel a bruise start form. Ginny could feel his cool fingers curl around her throat, applying only slight pressure, and for a moment his eyes met hers. Then the next instant he seemed to be staring past her.

"You need to go," he whispered.

Frowning, Ginny looked over her shoulder and gasped.

"Hermione!"

The bushy haired Gryffindor was staring at them with the astonishment befitting one who might have just caught Voldemort dancing suggestively around the Ministry of Magic in pink frilly knickers. Draco cringed at the thought.

For a moment the three just stared at each other and then Hermione, being the second to recover (Draco just didn't feel like moving), turned and vanished around the large block of trees.

"Ron! Harry! What is that?"

Ginny nearly died right there. If her brother saw her with Draco, blood would spill and in the present state that she was in, she was not necessarily sure that she would be cheering on her brother.

Draco, who had a feeling that Granger was trying to buy time for at least one of them to escape, wasn't about to let Ginny be the one to stay. If he left her here, half of Hogwarts would probably know by dinner. He couldn't have that.

He quickly moved around, grabbing up her books, robe and her bag before shoving them into her hand.

"You need to go," he said again, glancing continuously back at the area in which Hermione had disappeared. She would not be able to hold them off for long. Ginny did not seem to like the idea of leaving him there with her brother.

"But-"

"Go, Weasley," he growled, meeting her eyes with his. She could see his need for her to disappear and knew that there was no way of persuading him otherwise. However, before she left, she could not help but catch his lips in one quick heated kiss before she vanished through the bushes. It was not a moment too soon.

"Malfoy."

When Draco turned around, his face was emotionless and there was no other visible sign trace that Hermione could find of what had just happened.

He was very good.

Harry had been the one to spot the Slytherin when they had rounded the corner, but it was Ron who seemed to have the need to question the blonde.

"What are you doing out here? Torturing small animals?"

Draco smirked at the question, mentally noting the painful similarities Ginny had the misfortune to share with the tall fool before him. The same determined eyes, bright red hair and freckled skin were among the many that Draco found immediately.

"I believe I've moved up from small animals to large primates such as you, Weasley," Draco drawled coldly, giving each of them a healthy glare before he began to move off towards the castle.

"You won't be saying that tomorrow morning," Ron snapped but before he could follow after Draco, Hermione grabbed his arm and shook her head.

"Ron, don't. You'll only get in trouble," she whispered, though it was loud enough for Draco to hear. He couldn't help the smile that came to his lips as he heard Ron tell Hermione that now was not the time for her to be butting in.

"Don't worry about tomorrow morning, Weasley," Draco said, stopping to look over his shoulder. "By the end of the game, I'll have the Snitch and Potter there will be flat on his arse."

"Not bloody likely," Harry muttered.

Hermione however knew that it was absolutely pointless standing here. Her mind was bombarded by images of Malfoy and Ginny, staring at each other like… well… she was afraid that if she called it like it was, then it would become reality.

So instead, she grabbed Harry and Ron by the arm and began to pull them up the hill.

"Honestly, boys. You three haven't grown up at all," she snapped before glancing up at Ron. "I think we should check on your sister, Ron. She looked a bit unwell this morning and I've hoped that she hasn't fallen ill." As she said this she cast a questioning look on Draco, who watched them pass with disdain, before they disappeared behind the bushes.

"Blood hell," Draco growled, running a hand through his hair. Everything about his snog with Ginny was simultaneously irritating him and intriguing him.

Was it possible that the littlest Weasley could bring so much out of the cold, ruthless Slytherin Prince?

He took deep breath, trying to clear his mind of all things Weasley, but the lingering tingle of her on his lips and the cinnamon scent left on his robes only heightened his awareness of his ever depleting condition.

He cursed himself and started off for the castle.

"Bloody hell."

**A/N: Bloody hell, indeed! Things are just getting very interesting!**

**harrypotterchick4ever:** I'm glad you like it so much!

**nextbestthing:** Don't worry! I'm writing it right now! It should be ready by Monday at the least!

**Chapter Tease:**

_"Oh no," Hermione whispered, snapping Ginny out of her revere. _

_"What?"_

_"You… you don't… you don't _like _him do you?" Hermione asked._


	6. Uninvited Guests

_Revenge is an act of passion; vengeance of justice. Injuries are revenged; crimes are avenged_. **-Samuel Johnson**

* * *

"Oh _bloody hell_."

"Ron!"

"Don't start with me, Hermione. It's raining on the first match of the season," Ron shot back, ignoring her disapproving stare. "This isn't a good sign."

"It can't be that bad," Harry commented, sitting down beside Hermione and grabbing himself an apple. Ron snorted, his eyes continuously glancing up at the ceiling where dark clouds had formed. Occasionally a distant rumble would frighten a little first year who had not been expecting it.

"Don't bloody count on it, mate," the tall red head replied before he began to fill his plate with food. Hermione wrinkled her nose but said nothing as she glanced around the Great Hall and caught sight of a certain Slytherin. The blonde was trailed by at least ten others who did not seem too eager to get in his way. He seemed upset about something as he sat down at the table. Pansy Parkinson sat down beside him, crooning him with words as he picked at the food before him with disdain.

_Not up to par with the food at Malfoy Manor_, Hermione thought with a grim smile. She was about to turn back to her own food when she saw his eyes snap up to the Great Hall entrance. She followed his line of sight and saw that Ginny had just entered with Luna Lovegood and two other girls. Hermione saw Ginny glance quickly over to the Slytherin table before the young redhead lifted her chin slightly and walked confidently over to the Gryffindor table, setting herself down beside her brother. Luna came up to them, wearing her large lion hat. When Ron caught sight of her, he let out a loud noise that sounded like a laugh, but Hermione could not tell on account of the amount of food that had been in his mouth at the time. When he finally swallowed it, much to Hermione's disgust, he stared at the blonde girl with mirth in his eyes.

"Are you going to be commentating, Luna?" he asked with a smile.

The girl nodded slowly.

"Yes I am, Ronald. I wanted to wish you all luck," she said dreamily. Harry smiled.

"Thanks Luna," he said.

The girl nodded again before gliding off to her respective table, attracting the attention of several others on her way there. Ron chuckled as he turned back to his food.

"I feel so much better now," he said and everyone smiled except for Hermione, who was watching Ginny carefully. She had not been able to speak to the younger girl about what she had seen by the lake after they had come in, but that had in no way dimmed her curiosity.

"Ginny, can I talk to you?" she asked suddenly, drawing the attention of Harry and Ron, who had been discussing the weather in much greater depths with Seamus and Dean, who were sitting near by. Hermione felt herself flush and think through her words carefully.

"Privately," she added, standing up and grabbing her bag.

Ginny glanced over at the two boys before nodding and reluctantly getting to her feet.

"Don't talk too long!" Ron shouted. Hermione waved her hand in acknowledgment.

Ginny followed Hermione out of the Great Hall and down the steps that led to the Hogwarts entrance. Hermione didn't actually speak until they were halfway down to the Quiddich pitch. She then stopped abruptly and turned to Ginny, a disturbed look on her face.

"Are you going to explain to me what I saw yesterday?" she asked, having no intention of prolonging this.

Ginny avoided Hermione's searching gaze and looked around the woods then to the sky where the rain had started to fall.

"There's nothing to explain," she muttered.

"Don't give me that, Ginny. Here I am, walking around the corner of the lake, when to my surprise I walk into my best friend's sister and _Malfoy_ holding each other and staring at each other as if…"

Hermione did not want to say the rest for fear of it being true. However, upon catching the blush that had crept up Ginny's neck and ears, Hermione had an unnerving feeling that more had happened than what she had walked into.

She glanced up the hill to see people starting to filter out of the castle, on their way to the pitch. She grabbed Ginny's arm fiercely and pulled her into the cover of some trees, where they were not only sheltered from being seen but the rain as well. Hermione pushed her into a tree and crossed her arms in front of her chest, frowning.

"What's going on, Ginny?" she demanded.

Ginny looked completely lost.

"I don't know, Hermione! I…" she faltered and glanced around, trying to find some way of explaining the feelings that had been rushing through her. "I've been having these strange dreams and in them he always appears and… rescues me in some way… It was only a few days ago that things became…"

"Heated?"

Ginny's eyes snapped to Hermione, who had a ghost of smile on her lips.

"I should have guessed that something was going on between you two," the older girl said and Ginny frowned. Hermione sighed. "In the summer, when you had that dream, you were muttering something about Malfoy. Then when we had gone to the Shrieking Shack, you were acting strange when you reappeared. I thought that you had seen something disturbing and hadn't wanted to talk about it, but I would have never thought…"

Ginny grabbed Hermione's hand, her eyes pleading with the Head Girl.

"You can't tell Ron… or Harry. If they find out­-"

"Don't worry, Ginny… I won't tell… I just want to know something," she said, removing her hand from Ginny's.

"What?"

"Why Malfoy? There are plenty of blokes out there that would love to take you out. Why on _earth_ would you pick the one who would otherwise not give you the time of day?"

Ginny bit her lip contemplating the question herself, but suddenly it hit her that she was not the one who should be answering it.

"He kissed me, Hermione. I never wanted any of this to happen. He's the one who's kissed me," she explained.

Hermione frowned but didn't pursue the topic. Instead, a glint came to her eye as she headed back to the path where, by now, many students were heading down to the game.

"What was it like?"

Ginny's eyes widened at the question and she nearly stumbled over herself in shock.

"What?"

A slight blush passed over Hermione's cheeks, but she held up her chin in a dignified manner as they continued to walk through the rain.

"Well, over the past few years I've heard conversations of how… _aggressive_ Malfoy is and how… _experienced_ he is compared to most of the boys here. I'm just curious since it seemed a bit different with you," Hermione revealed quietly, glancing over at a group of Slytherin girls who sneered at them before hurrying by.

Ginny opened her mouth to speak then shut it again, finding herself at a loss of words on how to describe the many feelings that had raced through her body when Draco had kissed her. She had been scared, elated and confused all at the same time and those were only the beginnings of how to describe them.

Hermione watched the many emotions cross over Ginny's face while she remained silent and couldn't help but notice one that concerned her. She had seen the same look three years ago from Victor Krum. It had been a look she herself had been unable to return.

"Oh no," Hermione whispered, snapping Ginny out of her revere.

"What?"

"You… you don't… you don't _like_ him do you?" Hermione asked.

"No!" Ginny replied quickly. For Hermione, it had been a bit too quickly but before she could comment on it Ron and Harry appeared at her side.

"Time for chatting is over, Gin," Ron said, grabbing his sister's arm and steering her to the locker rooms. "Time for kicking Malfoy's arse."

A weird look appeared on Ginny's face but the two excited young men mistook the look for nervousness and they grinned.

"Relax Ginny," Harry said. "I'll get the Snitch before his greasy little hands get it."

_His hands aren't greasy_, Ginny thought and suddenly stopped.

Where had that come from?

"Coming Gin?" Ron asked, watching her carefully.

Ginny shook her head, trying to remove all thoughts of Draco from her mind.

"Of course! Let's go," she said, following them to the locker rooms. As they went, Ginny glanced behind her to where Hermione stood with a very concerned look on her face.

* * *

Draco was _not_ happy.

The game had started an hour ago, no one was winning, and the weather seemed to be getting worse by the second.

Two of Slytherins players had been struck by lightening. Unfortunately none of those players had been Warrington, who had managed to avoid such a painful end to his participation in the game.

Only one Gryffindor, one of their beaters, had been struck and had crashed into one of the stands.

_About bloody time,_ Draco had thought upon seeing the unfortunate student spin out of control and colliding into five other students. They had all been Hufflepuffs.

The game had been stopped for a while so that new players could come in and the injured students could be carried up to the Hospital Wing.

Now Draco was soaring high above the pitch, eyes scanning above and below him for any sign of a speck of gold. About a hundred meters below him, he could see Harry Potter moving around slowly, searching for the Snitch as well.

"Wanker," Draco muttered, moving down a little to get a better view of what was going on below. He could hear the surreal voice of that Ravenclaw girl Zabini liked, commentating over the most unusual things such as the weather and how the Slytherins looked sitting in the rain. He could just picture Zabini smirking to himself at the hilarity of it all.

"Oy! Malfoy!"

Draco turned to see Harry shoot past him, heading further up into the clouds. Draco cursed himself and shot after the Gryffindor, pushing his broom harder as Harry speed through the rain. Soon the two boys were shoulder to shoulder, glaring urgently at the small gold Snitch that darted in and out of the thundering clouds.

"Give it up, Potter," Draco growled over the crack of lightening. "Before you embarrass yourself."

Harry gritted his teeth and tried to get ahead of the Slytherin beside him but their brooms were equally matched and their maneuvers similar as they weaved their way through the storm.

_CRACK!_

Both boys had to pull out to avoid the crack of lightening that nearly hit them. The Snitch had once again flitted out of sight, lost in the rain and clouds that surrounded them.

Draco shook the water out of his eyes and glanced over at Harry, who was hovering near by. He frowned when he noticed the green-eyed nuisance staring at him.

"What is it Potter?"

Harry pointed to something behind him, a look of dread falling over him. Draco looked behind him and suddenly felt the cold hand of death creep through him and take a hold of his heart.

There were at least a dozen of them coming towards the two Seekers, their black unearthly bodies moving seamlessly against the wind.

At that same moment screams erupted from below. Harry caught Draco's glance before the two turned into a steep dive, hurtling through the rain down to the pitch, the cold dreadful feeling trailing after them with equal intensity.

Draco pulled out of the dive quickly when the pitch came into view, his eyes wide in surprise.

There were scores of them flying from stand to stand, dipping in to find some poor soul. Draco could see students scampering across one another hysterically, trying to get away from the black death. There were several teachers who were simultaneously ushering students down the stairs as well as shooting the Dementors with a Patronus.

Harry pulled up beside the Slytherin, watching in horror as some students actually fell from the stands, crashing into the ground unmoving. He could see Ron shooting off across the pitch towards one of the Gryffindor stands where Harry guessed Hermione was. Beside him, Draco shot off towards the ground, speeding past several other players who were paralyzed with fear. Harry, not caring where the Slytherin was heading, shot off towards the stand where Ron had been heading.

Draco nearly crashed into the ground when he got hold of the young Gryffindor who had been forced off of her broom. He hauled her up behind him and instantly shot off towards the Forbidden Forest unseen by anyone except the twenty Dementors who had singled him out as being very important. He could feel Ginny squeezing the air out of his lungs as she gripped him around the waist tightly.

"Go _faster_!" she screamed.

"Maybe I should have let you crash!" Draco shot back angrily as he navigated his way through the woods.

"DRACO!"

Her warning came too late as a flash of green struck the tail of the broom, sending the two flying from the broom and into a bunch of bushes. Ginny let out a gasp of pain when her knee made contact with a large rock, but any other noise was muffled by Draco's hand that grabbed her by the face as he dragged her behind a large tree.

"Shhh," he growled, glancing around the tree. The Dementors were coming towards them, but whoever had shot them down obviously had no intention of showing themselves. A feeling of hopelessness flooded over Ginny as the things came closer and she shut her eyes, trying to think of anything other than death.

However, before the Dementors reached them there was a flash of white light and then a large elephant and a smaller more agile fox came crashing through the woods, bulling through the wall of Dementors and forcing the things to flee, flying off above the woods and back towards Hogwarts. Ginny heard Draco let out a sigh and he left her behind the tree.

"About bloody time," she heard him growl and she peeked around the tree to see Valance and Blaise appear, picking their way through the undergrowth.

"We saw the green light from the pitch," Valance said, picking up Draco's destroyed broom. After a glance at Draco, Valance tossed it back into the bushes and looked around.

"Did you see who shot you?" he asked.

Draco shook his head, his eyes on the sky.

"Where are the others?" he asked.

Blaise glanced back towards the pitch, where some screams could still be heard.

"Goyle's been taken to the Hospital Wing. Rockwell's dealing with everyone else in the common room. Pansy's pissed about you…" he drifted off when his eyes caught sight of Ginny, who was trying not to be seen behind the tree. Draco and Valance followed the boy's gaze and Draco stiffened. Valance smirked.

"Oy! Weasley! You're not that hard to see," he shouted. They heard her let out a huff and saw her come out from around the tree, limping slightly from the injury on her knee.

"What am I doing here?" she demanded, glaring at Draco. The other two turned their gaze upon Draco as well, curious as to why the Slytherin Prince had actually snatched a Weasley out of the air rather than letting her fall to her death or otherwise very painful unconsciousness.

Draco, however, had no interest in explaining himself. Instead, he grabbed one of the extra brooms Blaise had in his hands and got on.

"We're going to the Shack," he growled before shooting off. He disappeared quickly through the dark trees, leaving Ginny behind with the other two. They glanced at her before hopping on their own brooms, handing the last one to Ginny.

"Keep up, Weasley," Valance snarled before lifting off.

Ginny glared at him and got on the broom.

"Don't worry about me," she snapped before speeding off in the direction Malfoy had disappeared.

It took only two minutes for them to reach the Shack. Draco had already disappeared inside, where they could hear someone screaming.

Ginny pulled out her wand like the others and they went in, ran up the stairs and entered the large room upstairs. Ginny's eyes widened upon their entry to see the small girl standing in the corner of the room, clutching a stuffed snake, bleeding, crying and screaming as she stared as something on the other side of the room. Ginny turned to see something even more surprising.

Draco had Vincent Crabbe up against the wall, his wand digging into the large boy's bulging throat.

"Crabbe!" Blaise snarled, the two other boys moving over to where Draco was. Ginny on the other hand moved over to the little girl, who was still crying and screaming.

"It's okay, don't cry," Ginny whispered, kneeling in front of the girl to block her view from the others. "It's okay."

The little girl's terrified eyes met with Ginny's and she held out her hands to be picked up.

"Okay," Ginny murmured, picking up the small girl in her arms and turning to see Draco and the other two glaring at the boy who was supposed to have been dead.

"You nasty piece of shit! Give me _one_ reason to let you live," Draco growled, his eyes blazing with a murderous hatred. Crabbe however caught a glimpse of the red head and his eyes immediately grew in realization. Draco glanced behind him for a moment before his hand around the boy's throat tightened painfully.

"You had better start talking," he snarled. Ginny had a feeling something bad was going to happen and didn't want Rayne to see it. She quickly left the room, carrying the child downstairs into the small room she had hidden in during the summer. Ginny sat the girl down on the couch and kneeled down in front of her, trying to find where the blood was coming from.

"Where does it hurt?" Ginny asked urgently.

The little girl pulled up her shirt and Ginny gasped.

"Oh my God," she muttered. There was a huge burning gash on the poor girl's stomach where Crabbe must have done something. Ginny had seen this wound before. The girl continued to scream as Ginny removed her Quiddich uniform and wrapped the dripping robes around Rayne's stomach, knowing that the cold water would help a bit. Ginny quickly pulled off her shoulder pads and arm guards, tossing them to the side before looking around the room for something warm. She found a large curtain lying on the ground and grabbed it, wrapping it around the little girl.

"Shhh…" she whispered. "It's okay."

Ginny wracked her brain for the words Remus Lupin had taught her to help deal with the wound before her.

"_Cartum Pervilous_," Ginny murmured, waving her wand over the girl's stomach. Almost immediately the girl stopped screaming and only her faint sniffling could be heard as Ginny helped her lie down on the couch. Ginny then sat down on the couch beside her, looking over the little girl's face carefully. Rayne's terrified blue eyes soon closed as she fell asleep.

"ARGH!"

Ginny looked up to see Crabbe come flying down the stairs, smashing into the ground. She stood up, glancing down at sleeping girl before looking back at the large boy. His entire face was cut up and bleeding, blood pouring out of mouth and nose. However, unlike Dervus, he was not begging for his life or crying on the ground. He struggled to his feet and glared up at Draco and the others, who were coming down the stairs.

"You made a big mistake denying the Dark Mark, Draco," he said, spitting out blood. "Your father's not happy with you."

Draco stopped right in front of the large boy and for a moment Ginny couldn't believe that the boy had once been afraid of the Slytherin Prince. Now, he was standing up to him.

"You're not in the position to be making threats, Crabbe," Draco replied in a dangerously calm voice.

Crabbe's eyes glanced around and stopped on Ginny, who paled under the appraising look the boy gave her.

"Tell me, Draco. Are blood traitors just as fun to screw around with as that little girl is?"

The innuendo that was dripping from Crabbe's voice was the end of him. Draco whipped out his wand and whirled around; eyes blazing with a fury Ginny had never seen and hoped to never see again.

"_AVADA KERDAVA!_"

The whole house lit up with green light and Ginny screamed, falling to the floor and holding her hands over her head. She ducked by the couch, shivering in shock as she heard someone move down the stairs.

"Someone would have seen the light," Valance said quietly.

She heard more movement and then Draco spoke, his voice still shaking with barely controlled rage.

"I want this at the Ministry. You know what to do," he hissed.

There was more movement then Ginny heard the front door open and someone leave. She leaned her head against the pillowed surface and closed her eyes, trying to stop the images of Crabbe's grotesque form being dragged from the Shack. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt someone touch her shoulder. She scrambled over to the wall, staring at Draco through terrified eyes. He watched her carefully for a moment. He took in the fact that all she was wearing were some shorts and a skintight shirt. Her Quiddich uniform and body armor was either on the floor or lying on Rayne. He frowned before looking down at Rayne, who was somehow still sleeping. He leaned down and picked her up, moving to the front door.

"Come," he said.

Ginny didn't move from her spot at the wall.

"Now, Weasley. Aurors will be here any minute," he said, a hint of annoyance in his cold voice.

Slowly and cautiously, Ginny walked over to him and followed him out of the Shack. He handed her a broom and got on his, still holding onto Rayne. They flew in silence, Draco because he had nothing to say and Ginny because she was too afraid to say anything.

Draco landed in a forested area right behind the castle near the Herbology green houses. He found a small entrance into the school and Ginny followed him through it. They made it to a small corridor that was deserted and Draco finally turned to her.

"Are you injured?" he asked, surprising her with the shimmer of concern that actually flitted across his stormy eyes. She glanced down at her legs and gave him a shaky shrugged.

"A few scratches from the crash, but other than that-"

"Oy! You two!"

Draco and Ginny turned to see two Aurors coming down the hall, looking at them with serious faces.

"You're not supposed to be out here," one of them said.

Ginny could tell that Draco was about to say something extremely rude to the two so she quickly cut in. She also noticed that Rayne had somehow disappeared from Draco's arms.

"I'm sorry… we just came from the woods," she explained. "We were chased there by the Dementors." She noticed the nasty looks the Aurors were giving Draco, who returned the look wholeheartedly.

"Well then, get to your common room. No one's allowed to be out now," one of them barked.

Draco rolled his eyes before turning on his heel and starting down towards the dungeons, one of the Aurors accompanying him. Ginny noticed as he walked, that his robes had a small bulge at the side and she couldn't help but smile. The other Auror gave Ginny a look and she crossed her arms over her chest, walking off towards Gryffindor Tower.

* * *

"There you are!" Ron exclaimed, standing up when he saw Ginny enter the crowded common room. Hermione ran over and helped Ginny to where the trio had been sitting.

"Are you okay?" Hermione asked, concern evident in her voice and eyes. Ginny waved the girl away, sitting down.

"Yes, yes, I'm fine. I just got in," she explained.

"What happened to you?" Harry asked, noticing her missing uniform. For the first time in a while, Ginny blushed.

"I… I…" Ginny stammered.

Thankfully, before she could answer, the portrait door opened and Professor McGonagall entered the common room. Silence fell upon the large group of students who were anxious to hear any information about the recent attack. McGonagall looked around, her usual frown on.

"Now that we have been able to account for every student in Gryffindor, I am sorry to announce that we have lost three students to the attack," she said sadly and a girl behind Ginny could be heard crying, whispering the name of some boy Ginny assumed had been one of the people who had died.

"With this new threat to Hogwarts, the Ministry of Magic has decided to keep the Auror presence here until further notice. Now this does mean that all outdoor classes and activities are going to be cancelled." There was a collective groan but McGonagall continued. "All students are required to be in their respective common rooms right after dinner and any student found outside after that time without an excuse will be expelled immediately." When she said this, her eyes landed on the trio, who all reddened but nodded, understanding clearly the severity of breaking that particular rule. She took a deep breath. "The Ministry believes the attacks have something to do with the return of the Death Eaters after the War and wants to make sure that the safety of Hogwarts is not compromised. In closing, I would like to remind all of you that the normal rules and regulations of Hogwarts still apply in this time and proper behavior is required during the Auror presence here at Hogwarts. Do not disappoint me."

With that said, she turned and left quickly, leaving behind a common room filled with disappointed and anxious students. Ginny turned back to the others who were watching her carefully.

"Ginny, what happened to your uniform?" Ron demanded.

Ginny quickly wracked her brain for an excuse and suddenly it came to her.

"I fell off my broom and had to run," she said. "My armor and uniform was slowing me down."

Harry and Ron seemed to accept that answer, because they each nodded and turned to each other, speaking quietly about the attack. Hermione, however, was not too eager to let it go. She was well aware of the people who had not been accounted for when attack had ended. Draco Malfoy was among the few Slytherins who had not shown up initially.

She took hold of Ginny's arm and pulled the girl through the crowds to the small door that led to Hermione's private Head Girl room. The moment they got there, Hermione released Ginny and placed a hand on her hip.

"What _really_ happened?"

"Hermione-"

"Don't Hermione me, Ginny. Tell me what happened because I _know_ you weren't out in those woods by yourself," Hermione snapped, pacing the floor.

"I can't tell you," Ginny whispered, sitting down on the sofa, and Hermione stopped abruptly, looking at the redhead for what seemed like forever before sudden realization hit her.

"Oh my God… it's really happening isn't it?"

"What?" Ginny asked, confused.

"You're protecting him, aren't you? You're hiding something to protect him," Hermione said, running a hand through her hair. "This isn't good."

"Hermione, calm down-"

"NO! I will not calm down!" Hermione snapped, panic evident in her eyes. "Don't you see what you've done?!"

"Hermione, I don't understand what you're talking about," Ginny whispered.

Hermione stared at Ginny for a moment before going over to her desk and pulling out a letter.

"Harry got this a week ago from Remus. Remus was warning us about a war going on inside Slytherin," she explained handing the letter to Ginny. Ginny read it quickly while Hermione continued. "Warrington is fighting for control of Slytherin, Ginny. Now I don't know how close you and Malfoy are, but I'm telling you, Ginny… you need to get out. Quickly. Malfoy may not be interested in hurting you, but he's not safe to be around… unless of course…"

Ginny's eyes snapped up to Hermione's.

"Unless of course what?"

Hermione frowned.

"Unless of course you… you loved Malfoy," she whispered.

Ginny's eyes bulged and she stood quickly, shaking her head.

"No! Why would you think of something like that?"

But even as Ginny refuted the accusation, Hermione could see in the young woman's blue eyes a doubt. A doubt that forced everything else out the window. However, Hermione had to be sure.

"Well then… if you don't, it should be no problem not seeing him anymore. I mean, it's not like he has any _real_ interest in you anyway. He _is_ Draco Malfoy."

"I know that… don't you think I know that…"

"But?"

Ginny looked up at Hermione, biting her lip.

"Can I ask you something?"

Hermione nodded and Ginny took a deep breath.

"When you kissed Victor Krum, did it… did it feel right? I mean, was it all that you had wanted it to be?"

Hermione's eyes widened at the question and then she frowned.

"What does Victor Krum have to do with this?" she asked quickly.

"Just answer the question, Hermione," Ginny said intensely, needing to know.

Hermione stared at her for a moment before she looked out the window, a distant look on her face.

"Well… Kissing Victor…" She looked down at Ginny. "When he kissed me, I must admit that I was somewhat elated… but… other than that… I have to say that it wasn't everything I had hoped it would because-" She caught her self and shut her mouth quickly, a blush creeping onto her face. Ginny couldn't help but smile at the girl.

"Because it hadn't been Ron," she finished.

At first it seemed as if she were about to contradict the statement, but instead, Hermione nodded mutely and sat down beside Ginny. They were silent for a moment before Hermione turned to look at Ginny.

"Ginny… he's dangerous…"

When the girl noticeably paled, Hermione frowned.

"I know… I know, Hermione…"

"Then why are you perusing something that will end catastrophically?"

"Why are you still friends with Ron even after everything he's done to you?"

"Ginny, that's not the same-"

"It's exactly the same, Hermione!" Ginny snapped. "Answer the question."

Hermione was surprised by the outburst, noticing a distinct hint of panic in Ginny's normally calm voice. She stared at Ginny for what seemed like forever, her feelings for Ron becoming more prominent by the second.

"Ginny… you couldn't possibly… don't tell me you're… you're in _love_ with Malfoy…"

Ginny's face paled even more.

"I… I don't know, Hermione… He scares me to no end yet… I… I can't stop thinking about him… and the way he kisses me…"

"Oh no, Ginny," Hermione moaned. "Does he know?"

Ginny suddenly stood up, a resolute face masking the one that had previously been filled with confusion.

"No… and he never will because there's nothing to tell. It's over, Hermione."

"I thought you said it never began in the first place," Hermione whispered and Ginny's shoulders visibly crumbled before her.

"I'm never going to see him again," Ginny whispered, more to herself than to Hermione. "What was I _thinking_? I must have been off my rocker to get so close."

Hermione watched the red head pace before her and felt her heart clench in pity.

Ginny Weasley had fallen in love with Draco Malfoy and was now trying to convince herself otherwise…

Hermione only hoped that she would be able to before everything got worse…

**A/N: I'll answer reviews in the next two chapters. **


	7. Family Reunion

_Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer. _**-Sun-tzu**

* * *

It was not until the next morning that Hermione realized just how much Ginny had been keeping back from her. Displayed on the front page of the Daily Prophet was a picture of Vincent Crabbe, dead. He was hanging from a large statue in the Annex of the Ministry of Magic, bloated, bleeding and misshapen.

"Oh my God…" she gasped, her eyes meeting with Ginny, who had seen the paper upon entering the Great Hall. "Ginny-"

Before she could say anymore, Ron and Harry came and sat down beside them, frowning.

"We just spoke to Dumbledore," Harry whispered, glancing around the table carefully. "He told us that this wasn't a warning to us."

Neville, who was sitting near by frowned.

"Who was it for then?" he asked.

Harry glanced over to him and leaned in closer so that only they could hear.

"He's saying that it was a warning from Malfoy to his father," he whispered.

"Why would you think that?" Ginny asked quickly before shutting her mouth. Hermione shot the redhead a dark look before repeating the question so Ginny wouldn't sound too interested. Ron inclined his head toward the Slytherin table.

"Crabbe was supposed to be dead after the war. Killed by one of Malfoy's mates, though there was no proof. But since he turned up at the Ministry, he must have gone into hiding with Lucius Malfoy. Malfoy must have found out and had him killed," Ron finished grimly. Hermione glanced at Ginny before frowning.

"But can they prove that?"

The boys shot her a look and she shrugged.

"Dumbledore _did_ say that Malfoy was being watched more carefully, even after he had been cleared of all charges. Dumbledore would know if Malfoy did something like that, wouldn't he?" Hermione asked.

They stared at her for a moment.

"She has a point," Neville pointed out.

Ron rolled his eyes.

"She always has a point, Neville. That's why you can never win an argument with her. She's too smart," he muttered, digging into the food before.

Hermione's cheeks tinged pink before she glanced over at Ginny, who staring at her food.

"Still… we should keep an eye on him," she said, keeping her eyes on Ginny, whose head snapped up.

Harry finally looked pleased and turned to his food as well.

"She's also willing to compromise as well," he added, causing Ron and Neville to grin and Hermione to give him a nasty look before she returned to the paper.

* * *

News of Vincent Crabbe spread like wildfire through the school and by the time Draco reached Potions, people were eying him fearfully as he moved down to his usual seat beside Goyle and Rockwell. Pansy looked a bit upset that he wasn't sitting next to her.

The Slytherin watched as others filtered into the room, making their way to their respective tables before Snape came striding in. He pointed to the board.

"Continue working on that," he said curtly before disappearing into his private office. One of the Gryffindors commented on the Potions Master's mood but other than that, it was surprisingly quiet in the Potions room. Some students, mainly Gryffindors, kept glancing over at Malfoy, waiting for him to make some scathing comment to Harry Potter, who was sitting right across from him, or brag about the recent reappearance of Vincent Crabbe and how that affected him.

But Draco remained quiet and seething, his mind clouded with images of Ginny's frightened eyes and his own momentary panic when he had seen her hurtling to the ground.

After about half an hour, students began to converse again, staring ruefully at their bubbling potions as they did.

There was a knock at the door and everyone turned to see none other than Ginny Weasley poke her head in.

"Is Professor Snape here?" she asked quickly, glancing around the room, her eyes avoiding Draco's.

Hermione pointed to the office door.

"In there," she said.

Ginny nodded and entered the classroom, carrying a letter in her hand. She quietly disappeared into the office, shutting the door behind her and people began to speak again.

"When do you think they'll let us play Quiddich again?" Draco heard Seamus Finnegan ask loudly.

Draco couldn't help but roll his eyes.

"Probably when you learn how to fly a broom," he said with a sneer.

Seamus glared at him.

"I wasn't talking to you, Malfoy," he replied angrily.

Draco just smirked and went back to his simmering potion, chopping up a vile smelling weed with a very sharp knife. Goyle shot Draco a glance before returning to his own potion, which was beginning to turn an unnatural shade of blue.

"This can't last much long, can it? We need to get out of this castle eventually," Seamus began again.

This time, Draco stood up and turned around, attracting all of the attention of the students in the room.

"Tell me something, Finnegan," Draco snapped, annoyance evident in his face. "Is it at all possible for anything of any importance to come out of that mouth of yours?"

Seamus stood as well, glaring back at Draco. Several Gryffindors looked very concerned for the safety of the young man while Pansy Parkinson was grinning from ear to ear, waiting for Draco to make a move.

"As opposed to what, Malfoy? The orders of death that come out of yours?"

Eyes widened and people held their breath as Draco's eyes darkened and his hand curled around the knife he had been holding.

"What are you implying, Finnegan?" Draco growled coldly, his eyes clashing fiercely with the Gryffindor's brown ones. Everyone's head turned from Draco to Seamus, waiting for the boy to say something.

"I think you know _exactly_ what I'm implying, Malfoy."

Ron grabbed Hermione's arm, stopping her from trying to interrupt the dangerous situation.

"Wait," he whispered quickly, watching the two intently.

"What the hell is going on in here?"

Everyone turned to see Snape standing at his desk with Ginny right beside him, staring at the two standing with something close to fear in her eyes.

"Sit down!"

Seamus immediately took his seat while Draco remained standing, eyes focused dangerously on the boy.

"Sit down!"

Draco flashed his eyes over to Snape for a moment then began to turn around. However, before he sat, he flipped the knife in his hand and slammed it down into the table in front of Seamus, who paled visibly. Someone gasped and Draco smirked, taking his seat. Pansy burst into a fit of giggles but was quieted by a look from Snape.

"Get back to work!" Snape snapped, glaring at the other students who were still staring at Draco. They immediately turned to their cauldrons, eyes down. Snape then approached Draco, Ginny following him at a respectful distance.

"Dumbledore needs to speak to you," Snape said and Draco's eyes immediately snapped to Ginny, who once again avoided his gaze. Others began to stare again, knowing what the Headmaster wanted to talk about.

Draco rose slowly and walked out of the room, followed by Ginny. They walked down the halls in a deafening silence, Ginny trying her best to avoid any conversation with the blonde boy.

They had almost reached Dumbledore's office when they were stopped by two Aurors.

"You two aren't supposed to be out by yourselves," one snapped, approaching them.

Draco pointed at the badge on his robes.

"I'm allowed," he replied coldly. Ginny watched the Aurors glare at him for a moment before stepping out of the way.

"Get where you're supposed to be fast," the other growled before they left.

Before Ginny could continue moving, Draco grabbed her arm.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

She yanked her arm out of his and glared at him.

"Dumbledore sent me," she snapped before approaching the statue that guarded the Headmaster's office. "Lemon Drops," she said and the thing moved out of the way, allowing them to climb the stairs and enter.

"Ah, Mr. Malfoy, right on time. Thank you, Ms. Weasley. You may return to your common room," Dumbledore said. The two Aurors who were in the room left with Ginny, who avoided the look Draco had shot her before he turned to face the Headmaster.

"You wanted to see me?"

Dumbledore stared at the young man for a moment before shaking his head and standing up from behind his desk.

"Not me, Draco. Your mother," he said, holding up a letter in his fingers.

Draco raised an eyebrow and took the letter, reading it over quickly.

"Now?"

He looked up to see Dumbledore staring out the window.

"Sir?"

"Draco… do you know how many nights Professor Snape spent, making sure you were prepared to face your father?"

"Yes… sir…"

Dumbledore pointed to a small goblet resting on his desk.

"I think it is time to use that," he said quietly, meeting Draco's eyes with twinkling blue ones.

"Sir?"

Dumbledore moved to his desk.

"Your mother wishes to speak to you. I have no doubt that your father will be there as well," he said.

"You want me to face my father?"

Draco was surprised to see a smile appear on the old man's face.

"Your father has no intention of killing you. Not this early anyway. He needs you to keep Slytherin intact long enough for his plan to become reality," Dumbledore explained.

"That's comforting," Draco muttered.

"It should be," Dumbledore replied with a smile, motioning to the goblet. "By your leave, Mr. Malfoy."

Draco eyed the goblet and fingered the long slender piece of wood in his robes pocket before he reached out and grabbed the goblet.

* * *

"Ah… Draco… you arrived."

Draco turned around to see his mother sitting in a rather ancient armchair by the living room fireplace, his father standing beside her in a dignified fashion. There was a smirk on his face, but his eyes were cold. Draco had learned a long time ago that what ever emotion he felt could not be shown in his eyes.

"Lucius," Draco greeted darkly, straightening. "It's been a while. How's life on the run treating you?"

Lucius's eyes blazed with barely constrained rage at his son's contemptuous greeting.

"Watch your mouth, boy. Don't forget who you're talking to," Lucius growled threateningly.

Draco managed to control the suicidal replies that had forced their way up to his tongue and instead remained silent. Pleased with his son's lack of response, Lucius moved across the floor to the small desk in the corner, his long black robes dragging slightly across the dark rugs.

"I've been receiving some rather disturbing news from Hogwarts, Draco," he said as he pulled out a few letters from the desk drawer. "I'm a bit disappointed."

For one fearful moment, Draco thought that his father was speaking of Ginny Weasley. But when Lucius handed his son a picture of a small girl, Draco's fear was quelled instantly. In its place was rage.

"A muggle, Draco? Really?"

The disappointment that dripped from Lucius's voice did not penetrate Draco. There had been a time when he was younger when he would be crushed by one hint of disappointing his father, but now… any sort of disappointment he could cause without getting himself killed was something Draco could live with peacefully.

"I would start explaining myself if I were you," Lucius hissed.

"If you've heard so much from your little spies at Hogwarts, I wonder why you took the time to call me here," Draco responded, his cold grey eyes meeting his father's enraged ones. His father's hand moved so fast that Draco barely knew what had happened until the pain of the deep scratch to his face sunk in. He didn't move however, nor did he show any evidence of the blow affecting him in any way. His mother didn't even blink as Lucius glanced down at his hand to examine his ring.

"That's not an acceptable answer, Draco," his father whispered in the typical Malfoy calm voice.

Draco could feel the blood start to run down his cheek, but he was not about to give his father the satisfaction of wiping it away. Any movement would provoke another blow.

"I'd tell you to ask that little wanker, Crabbe, but apparently he's all hung up at the moment," Draco said, clasping his hands behind his back and meeting his father's gaze.

"Watch your mouth, boy. You're already treading in stormy waters. I'd hate to watch you drown so early in the game."

"If anyone's going to drown early, it will be you," Draco replied coolly.

The two stared at each other, sizing up the other as they searched for weaknesses… not for now, but for when the time came… there would be no time to do so then…

"I must say though, Lucius," Draco said, breaking the tense silence. "I was rather surprised to see that you cared enough about my safety to send a whole fleet of Dementors at the first Quiddich game. I'm sorry I wasn't able to send you a thank you card for that, but I was so _busy_ dealing with traitors in my ranks."

Lucius raised an eyebrow.

"Traitors, Draco? That seems hard to believe for the Slytherin Prince," his father sneered.

Draco smirked and shrugged.

"Well, I figured that since Warrington was taking orders from my _mother_… I thought I'd be safe to jump to the conclusion that he was by way of her, taking orders from my dear old father," Draco said, his cold grey eyes landing on his mother, who stared back at him through heartless, unblinking orbs.

Lucius smiled as well, but for an entirely different reason.

"Oh, don't worry about Warrington. He's just the tip of the iceberg, for what I have planned for you, Draco."

The bloodlust dripping from his father's voice was enough to make Draco roll his eyes. However, for his own well-being, he refrained from doing so and instead, pulled out his wand. Narcissa stood up suddenly, her eyes trained on her son's wand. Lucius stiffened noticeably.

"Put that down before you poke out your eye," he said.

Draco smirked.

"Lucius, I think it's time you stopped giving orders to me like a child," he said, pointing his wand at the two. Narcissa paled significantly at the sight of her son wielding the wand and took a slight step back. Lucius just remained where he was, glaring at Draco.

"You have no power here, Draco."

"And you have no power over Warrington, no matter how much you'd like to think you do," Draco replied bitterly. "You can't control him just like you couldn't control me."

This time, it was Narcissa who spoke up.

"I think you have things quite wrong this time, Draco darling. You see, Warrington is as expendible as that fat bastard Crabbe was," she said in that regal silky voice that used to send shivers down Draco's back when he was a little boy. "He's hasn't even been doing his job properly. Wasting valuable time with his little war with you… tsk, tsk, Draco… I thought you would have known your own parents better than that. Why would we have a perfectly _useless_ boy try to have you killed? Victor Warrington's son doesn't deserve the honor."

"It's nice to know that my death is so delicately planned with the most highest esteem, mother," Draco replied, matching his mother's faint smirk that never reached her cold eyes.

"Watch your mouth, boy," Lucius snarled advancing on his son before stopping when Draco raised his wand.

"_No_," Draco drawled. "I think I've watched my mouth long enough, Lucius. In fact, I think I've spent enough time here. It was lovely catching up. I'd love to do it again, perhaps at your grave, Lucius, or even at your cell in Azkaban, mother"

With that he disapparated out of the Manor, leaving an incensed father who wanted him dead now more than anything.

**A/N: I hope you like this!**


	8. A Strange Interaction

_Everything's got a moral, if only you can find it._ **-Lewis Carroll****:**

* * *

There were only two weeks left in October and Draco was angry. Things were going from bad to worse in the Slytherin House. Both those who were loyal to Draco and those loyal to Warrington were getting into scuffles in the hallway, attracting way too much attention from the Aurors and Dumbledore, who seemed to be around much more often then he used to. Not only that, but Ginny was avoiding him like the bloody plague, which wouldn't have bothered him, but when Hermione Granger had approached him after their weekly meeting with Dumbledore telling him to stay away from her, he had become intrigued.

Apart from that, the constant annoyance of Pansy Parkinson and the occasional threats from his father were regular factors in his long days at Hogwarts.

For now, he sat on one of the common room couches, his feet propped up and his eyes scanning a novel lazily as he kept tabs on who went in and out of the dormitories. There were a few girls sitting in chairs near by doing homework and a couple of fourth year boys on the couch beside Draco's glancing over at the girls and whispering amongst themselves. Draco rolled his eyes and looked over at the dormitory stairs, noticing a short seventh year girl walking down, looking very unhappy about something.

Though neither he nor any of his close companions had been attacked personally, he was well aware that Warrington was using first and second years to place unwanted items in the seventh year rooms Draco's people slept in.

_Amateur_, Draco thought with a smirk as he flipped the page and glanced around quickly. Just then, Blaise came striding in with a first year girl at his side. She looked positively terrified, but Blaise looked as if he had just one the World Cup single-handedly. They walked up to Draco and Blaise glared at the people sitting near by, making it clear that this was important. When they had left, Blaise's grin reappeared. Something Draco didn't see often. Draco glanced at the small first year and cocked an eyebrow

"She's a little young," he commented, placing his book in his lap, but not closing it. He had every intention of going back to it later. The girl's eyes widened in horror but Blaise only rolled his eyes pushed her forward.

"Tell him," he ordered and the little girl bit her lip.

"I saw Richard Dervus being dragged into the Forbidden Forest," she said quickly, not looking Draco in his eyes. He didn't blame her.

"Warrington?"

Blaise shook his head with a grin.

"Death Eaters," he said quietly, his eyes flashing impishly.

Draco knew immediately why Blaise was smiling and couldn't help but smirk.

"Death Eaters. You're sure?"

This time the young girl nodded, pointing to the entrance to the common room.

"My sister is Warrington's girlfriend. I told her and she told me to come to you immediately. She said she'd been with Warrington all day," the girl explained.

Draco looked up at Blaise.

"Attingwood?"

Blaise shrugged.

"She's such a slut after all. Apparently she's been seeing _Rockwell_ secretly ever since she found out that Warrington couldn't… deliver…"

A wide grin came to Draco's face and he turned to the first year.

"You've learned fast," he said before turning back to Blaise. "So Lucius found out about Dervus. It was only a matter of time. How long until Warrington finds out?"

"Six hours. Seven hours max."

Draco nodded and picked up his book.

"Good. Give Attingwood here a reward," he said, his eyes glued to the words on the pages ahead of him. He heard Blaise and the girl leave before he let his thoughts travel. Lucius was dealing with Dervus. That would not be a message to Draco but to Warrington. A warning to the sixth year Slytherin to make sure he chose his allies properly and wisely.

Draco's mind wandered from his father to Ginny, who he had not seen all day. He got up, leaving the book on the couch and he left the common room.

* * *

Word about Richard Dervus spread much more quickly than Blaise had predicted. In fact, by lunch, many students were eyeing Draco with a bit of fear as he entered the Great Hall. Warrington looked pissed.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the _great_ Draco bloody Malfoy!" he shouted. "Where the hell is Dervus?"

Warrington was obviously a lot thicker than Malfoy had suspected. Draco smirked as he sat down right across from Warrington, causing a lot of tension between the two groups of Slytherins as the rest of the Great Hall tried not to listen.

"What makes you think I have him, Cole?" Draco asked lazily, placing a piece of chicken delicately onto his plate before putting a few more items on his plate.

"I know you did something, Draco, so don't play dumb," Warrington growled.

Draco sipped his pumpkin juice before setting down his goblet.

"I have no idea what you're on about," he replied.

Warrington slammed his hands down on the table, knocked over Draco's goblet and stood up menacingly, glaring daggers at Draco. Goyle and Valance stood up, along with a few of Warrington's men, but Draco raised a hand, telling them to sit down. Draco then fixed his shifted platter and picked up his empty goblet. He then stood in a very dignified manor, worthy of the name Malfoy, and fixed Warrington with a chilling stare.

"If you want information about your little _bitch_," Draco hissed so only Warrington could hear. "Then you better ask Lucius."

Warrington's eyes widened in horror and a moment later he left the Great Hall, along with a few of his men. The others just glared at Draco. Draco rolled his eyes and sat back down, turning his attention to Goyle.

"I want my room monitored for the next day or so. Warrington won't try anything, but I know one of those little morons over there will try to… _be loyal to the cause_," Draco whispered before returning to his food.

* * *

Ginny and Ron sat in the common room, each finishing essays. Hermione came walking in followed closely by a very unhappy Harry.

"What happened?" Ron asked, moving over on the couch for Harry to sit. Hermione sat down in the armchair near by.

"He has three weeks of detention," Hermione said, shooting him a disapproving look. Ron and Ginny looked shocked.

"What did you do?" Ginny asked, watching the young man carefully. He glanced over at her before shaking his head.

"_I_ didn't do anything. That arse… what's his name?"

"Flint. Marcus Flint," Hermione reminded him.

"Yeah, him. He called Hermione… well… you know… and I told him to bugger off."

Hermione rolled her eyes and turned to the two redheads.

"He didn't just tell him to go away. He punched him straight in the nose," she corrected.

Ginny frowned.

"That wouldn't get Harry three weeks, Hermione. One week… two weeks at the most," she said.

Hermione tinged red and the two Weasleys had a feeling she was leaving something out. They looked at Harry, who was smirking for some reason at Hermione.

"What? What happened?" Ron demanded, not liking to be kept in the dark. Hermione's blush deepened and she stood up suddenly.

"Nothing happened," she snapped, cutting Harry off before he could tell them. With that said, she stalked off to a table on the other side of the common room and sat down in a huff, pulling out her books and parchment. Ron frowned and went over to her, making Harry grin even more. Ginny leaned in and touched Harry's shoulder.

"What happened?"

He smiled.

"Flint said something about Ron being an unintelligent, untalented ape and Hermione sort of cursed him. I knew it was her, but I couldn't let her get detention, so I said it was me," he explained quietly, glancing over at Hermione and Ron, who were speaking quietly. Ron seemed a bit concerned, but Hermione looked as if she was trying to convince him otherwise. Ginny smiled.

"Well… it'd be nice if they'd just realize that they loved each other. Then she wouldn't have to go around cursing people," Ginny whispered.

Harry snorted and stood up.

"The day those two realize they love each other will be the day Malfoy falls in love with you," he said lightly, chuckling before going up to his dormitory. Ginny blanched and her heart sped up quickly, pounding in her chest so loudly that she was afraid Ron and Hermione would hear. Biting her lip, she turned to the fireplace, her mind racing back to Draco Malfoy. She had forced herself to avoid him for the past few days. But even as she fled from his sight, she still yearned to see his beautiful grey eyes and feel his warm lips against her skin…

Ginny shook herself mentally.

_Stop it Ginny! You shouldn't be thinking like that. You promised yourself you wouldn't think like that. _

She sighed and looked at the fire. Her mind wandered to the summer and that first dream she had had with him. She had asked Hermione about the dreams and the only explanation Hermione could offer was that perhaps her and Draco had forged a connection during that time she had spent trapped in Malfoy Manor by his father.

"_Malfoy did get trapped in that curse Lucius had aimed at you, right?" Hermione asked, flipping through an old book bigger than Ginny's head._

_Ginny nodded, eyeing Madame Prince as she prowled the back shelves. Hermione was quiet for a moment then her eyes widened. _

"_Well… it says here that the Falker curse, if joined by a second party, can allow both parties to have joint dreams."_

"_But what do the dreams mean?" Ginny asked. _

_Hermione shook her head. _

"_All it says is that the dreams will allow the two to overcome…"_

"_Overcome what?" Ginny asked impatiently. _

_Hermione looked up, shaking her head. _

"_That's all it says. 'Allow the two to overcome'," she said with an apologetic shrug. "I'm sorry, Ginny."_

_The redhead let out a frustrated sigh. _

"_Overcome is so general! What the bloody hell does it mean?!"_

"_Shhhh!"_

_Both girls turned to see Madame Prince glaring at them from behind a shelf of rather obnoxiously colored books. _

"_Sorry," Hermione apologized, looking a bit worried that she'd be kicked out. The old woman shot them both warning looks before disappearing behind a large statue. Hermione turned back to Ginny. _

"_What does it matter anyway? I thought you didn't care about Malfoy?"_

_Ginny blushed. _

"_I don't. I'd just like something to say to him rather than 'Thank you, Malfoy for saving my life' if I happen to have another one of those dreams," she said hastily, turning back to the books before her. Hermione raised an eyebrow. _

"_Every time you've had a dream, he's saved you?"_

_Ginny nodded. _

"_Yes."_

_Hermione couldn't help but smile. _

"_It seems that maybe he might like you as much as you _claim_ you don't like him," she said carefully, watching Ginny as she shifted around a few books. _

"_He only did it to save himself," she muttered. "Besides… why would Draco Malfoy want to save-"_

_The rest of her remark was cut off when she spotted the object of their conversation walk through the entrance of the library alone. Hermione frowned and turned to say something to Ginny, but the Weasley had vanished. Hermione's eyes widened at her quick exodus and turned back to see Draco Malfoy coming over to her… _

_Ginny watched Draco say something to Hermione before quickly leaving, obviously not to eager to let anyone see that he had spoken to the muggleborn. _

Ginny sighed and looked down at her hands.

"Crap…"

* * *

Ginny walked quietly down to breakfast the next day with her brother and his two friends. They were conversing quietly about the recent disappearance of Richard Dervus as they reached the Great Hall entrance.

"You know, Weasley. That sister of yours is starting to fill out quite nicely. Especially around the chest."

All four turned to see Warrington and a few others leaning against the wall, watching them with mild interest. Ron stepped forward.

"Watch your mouth, Warrington," he growled.

Ignoring Ron, Warrington turned his eyes on Ginny, who glared at him.

"For something that crawled out of the gutter, you're very nice to look at," he commented rudely.

However, before Ron could attack the famous drawl of Draco Malfoy cut him off.

"Oh _please_, Cole. Don't you have better things to do than try to shag a _Weasley_?" the tall blonde asked as he strode over, a posse of girls trailing after him.

"At least I don't shag anything that has a pulse. And by anything, I include small rodents in that," Warrington growled back.

Draco smirked.

"That's surprising coming from a boy who can't even satisfy his _own_ girl friend," he replied casually, causing many of the girls around him to giggle insanely.

Ginny and the trio looked between the two with mixed emotions.

"I don't know who to root for. Malfoy or Warrington?" Harry muttered, watching the two exchange scathing comments. Ron nodded, but Hermione could see in his eyes the urge to go slug both Slytherin boys. She smiled and glanced over at Ginny, who was watching Malfoy intently.

"Maybe we should go," Hermione suggested quietly. "Before the two get into a fight and then decide to blame it on us."

"Agreed," Ron replied, moving off towards the Great Hall doors. Harry and Hermione followed close behind. Ginny hesitated for a moment and in that instant, she saw Draco's eyes flicker over to her. It was very brief, but she could tell that he recognized what she was doing. The next moment, she turned and walked quickly through the Great Hall doors.

Draco smirked inwardly.

She was afraid…

* * *

Luna and Ginny sat in the library conversing quietly with each other. Ginny had just updated Luna on everything that had happened between her and Draco in the past month or so and Luna had listened with a smile that annoyed Ginny.

_Why was she smiling?_

"Well?" Ginny asked.

Luna shrugged, flipping the page of a Herbology book she was reading.

"I don't think you should avoid him so much. He seems to have an interest in you," she said dreamily, glancing over a picture of a hideous looking plant. Ginny frowned.

"This is coming from a girl who avoids Blaise Zabini as if he were Voldemort incarnate," she replied cynically.

"Blaise who?"

Ginny rolled her eyes, knowing very well that Luna knew who she was talking about.

"It doesn't matter, because Draco Malfoy is off limits. I don't even know why I allowed myself to be drawn to him," she muttered, writing down a few notes from the Potions book she was supposed to be reading.

"Then why are you avoiding him so much, Ginny. If you don't like him, then it should be easy for you to face him," Luna said whimsically, flipping the page again. Ginny looked up at her friend.

"I'd say the same thing about you," she hissed, but Luna only ignored her, making Ginny even more annoyed with her unusual friend. Sighing, she went back to her book and continued to write down notes until someone entering the library with a group of younger Slytherins caught her eye. She noticed that Zabini had seen them and had a feeling he wasn't really interested in talking to her specifically. Glancing over at Luna, who was studying a large picture of a certain potting instrument, Ginny stood up slowly.

"I'm going to go look for another Potions book to get more information on Wolfsbane," she muttered before leaving the table.

"Okay," Luna replied, flipping to the next page in her book. There was a brief silence and then a shadow came over her book. Luna looked up and froze, unaware of her blushing cheeks and wide eyes. Blaise watched her for a moment before he sat down across from her, glancing around occasionally at a few girls a couple of tables down.

"We haven't talked in a while," he started, meeting her bright blue eyes with his shrouded black ones. Luna turned back to her book, trying to ignore the pounding in her chest.

"Oh?"

"The last time we talked, you were half dead in a cell underground," he continued, studying her carefully. He could see the vein in her neck pulsing quickly and knew that his presence was affecting her greatly.

"I believe my father sent you a thank you card," she said, folding the corner of the page so that she could come back to it later. "If you didn't get it, I'll be happy to tell him to send you another."

"I don't want a card, Luna."

Luna's brain went into overdrive and her eyes flickered around, trying to find Ginny or anyone that she knew she could escape to without looking like a complete idiot.

"Then there's nothing I can do for you," she said, getting up and walking behind a near by shelf. Blaise got up and followed her behind the shelf, glancing around to make sure that he was out of sight before he grabbed hold of Luna's arm. This time, Luna's face paled, but she managed to maintain her surreal composure.

"I do believe that books on the Dark Arts are in that section," she said, pointing to the isle of books opposite of them.

He never gave her a chance to say anything else. His lips met hers in a burst of passion and she soon found herself up against the shelf. His hands instantly moved around her body, trying to get as much out this as possible, causing Luna to moan into his mouth as he forced his body against hers. Trapped, she grabbed his bare shoulders for support, her legs growing weak under his onslaught. Things were spiraling out of control. One moment she was trying to get away from him and the next she's being snogged senseless in the library. Blaise seemed to sense her hesitation, but wasn't about to let her get away anytime soon. His hand slipped under her skirt, gently caressing her thigh and coaxing a whimper from her. This one movement seemed to remind her too much of what had happened during the war and she began to struggle against him, until she managed to push him away.

They stood there for a while on opposite sides of the isle. Mixed emotions were speeding past Luna's eyes as she tried to collect herself. Then, she stood up straighter and fixed her long blonde hair.

"I believe, Mr. Zabini, that though your rather forward approach to things is appreciated, that perhaps you should try sending a card," she said over her shoulder before she returned to her seat and started flipping through her book again. Blaise smiled and left the library quickly, making sure to avoid running into any Aurors who might ask where he was heading.

**A/N: A L/B moment was long overdue. I hope you all enjoyed this. Don't worry. The next two chapters are _all_ D/G!**

**purplegabby123:** I know you'll love the next chapter!

**nextbestthing:** I'll go back and correct that.

**witchywiccan:** The question about Rayne will be answered in chapter... 11. I believe.

**tamara72:** Yes well, so far she's not going to tell on them.

**MeggyandHaku:** I'm glad you liked it!

**Chapter Tease: (Because you guys are amazing!)**

_"Are you going to kill me?"_

_ "What?" Draco asked, turning to face her. _

_ She finally looked him in the eye and bit her lip. _

_ "Are you going to kill me…"_


	9. The Guilty Party

_ There is no such thing as pure pleasure; some anxiety always goes with it._ **-Ovid, _Metamorphoses_**

* * *

Hermione frowned upon entering the common room late that night to see Ron sitting on the couch, glaring intensely at a large piece of parchment on the table before him. There were a few other people in the common room, including a couple of girls sitting in the corner, whispering intently to each other.

"Why are you up so late?" she asked, coming over to sit beside him.

"Hey," Ron greeted, trying to smile as he turned away from the paper and looked at her. "I could ask you the same thing."

Hermione shrugged.

"Dumbledore had to speak to Malfoy and I. Just about the regular 'school unity' stuff. You?"

Ron looked back down at his paper.

"I'm trying to finish this Muggle Studies essay­ and yes, I know Hermione. It's due tomorrow, but I've been busy with trying to finish Snape's paper," Ron snapped, cutting Hermione off before she could scold him. She bit her lip and sighed.

"I suppose I could help," she whispered, noticing Ron perk up noticeably. She gave him a stern look. "I'm not going to write it for you Ron."

He let out a frustrated sigh, but nodded, passing her what he had written so far. She scanned over it quickly, wrinkling her nose at certain bits and raising her eyebrows in approval at others.

"Not bad… considering," she added with a smile as Ron gave her a small nudge. She reached into her bag and pulled out a large green book. "Do you know just how important those kites were to that French general, Ron?" she asked as she flipped through the book.

"Well, Hermione, if I did, I wouldn't be here, now would I?"

Hermione rolled her eyes and handed him the book, pointing to a passage.

"The general wasn't just trying to win a war, Ron. He was trying to win back the love of his life who had fled to Spain," she said.

"What does that have to do with Muggles?"

Hermione pointed to another passage on the same page.

"The Professor is just trying to show us the many uses of the kite. It's not just an entertainment or a war device, but it's a tool for love," she whispered, staring at the illustration on the page. "It's very romantic, Ron."

Ron stared at her for a moment, his eyes roving over her beautiful face with wonder. It still amazed him how a woman so intelligent and so gorgeous could be so oblivious to her affect on not only him, but many male inhabitants of Hogwarts. He watched how her face glowed under the burning embers in the Gryffindor fireplace and how her hair fell in soft curls around her face, perfectly highlighting her determined brown eyes.

"Ron… are you listening to me?"

Ron shook himself mentally and cursed himself. He must have looked like an idiot, just staring at her like a complete buffoon. But when he met her eyes, he noticed the amusement in her eyes and the soft blush that crept to her cheeks as he shook his head.

"No…"

Hermione bit her lip and looked down at the parchment in her hands. She was trying to tell herself that this was her best friend, but the whole time, she could feel her heart racing as she continued.

"Well… I was just saying that the French kites especially were used to show a man's love for the woman he loved deeply. They used to fly the kite in the town square, calling out the girl's name at the top of their lungs as they flew the thing… I always thought it was so fascinating-"

Ron's lips stopped her from continuing any further as he pressed his mouth to hers. She felt her heart jump with excitement as she returned the gesture, leaning into him as his hand came up to caress her cheek. She jerked a little when she felt his tongue prod her lips gently, asking for entry. She opened her mouth to his and let their tongues brush lightly, both getting used to the pleasurable sensation.

However, when Hermione heard a giggle from behind them, she pulled away from Ron to see the two girls watching them with smiles on their faces. She felt the blood rush to her face and she turned to the forgotten essay in her hands.

"I said French kites, Ron," she whispered with a small smile. "Not French kiss."

Ron glanced over at the girls as well before looking down at the book in his hands.

"Yes, well… I thought the latter was much more interesting to study," he whispered causing her to redden even more. He saw her smile widen as she scooted away from him, trying to reduce the temptation of them kissing again.

"You need to finish the essay," she muttered. "There's plenty of time for that later."

Ron let out a sigh and began flipping through the book.

"Fine," he said, but he could tell by the look on her face that she was having just as much a hard time as he was trying to ignore the incredible urge to go and find a quiet corner. "Fine."

* * *

Ginny didn't know how it happened, but on her way up from dinner she had somehow been snatched from the watchful eyes of the Aurors and dragged down to the dungeons by Rockwell and Goyle. They had managed to keep her hidden from the suspicious eyes of the Slytherins as they passed the entrance to the Slytherin common room and approached a large portrait of a giant snake.

"Severus Snape," Goyle mumbled, the snake hissed and the portrait swung open.

"Go in," Rockwell ordered, giving her a shove through the portrait hole.

"Why should I­-"

"Go!" Goyle growled, cracking his knuckles in a very menacing way. Ginny didn't have her wand. They had taken that away from her. So she backed away and entered the small hall that led to a very large living room. At the other side of the room was a staircase that led to the bedroom. The Head Boy's room.

"Bloody hell," Ginny muttered.

This was the last place in the world she wanted to be.

She was about to leave when someone grabbed her by the arm. She turned and glared at the tall blonde boy.

"Let go of me!" Ginny snapped, trying to pull her arm out of Draco's vice-like grip.

"You've been avoiding me, Weasley," he growled, pulling her closer.

"For good reason, you tosser!" Ginny barked heatedly, trying to yank away her arm. "Now let go!"

"Why?" he asked, his eyes going over her face with a desire Ginny feared because she could feel it rising in herself.

"Let go-"

Draco's lips collided with hers as he forced her up against a wall, effectively silencing her as he moved his lips with hers fiercely. He felt her struggle against him, trying desperately to get away from something she so desperately wanted. She let out a small shriek of protest as she tried to push him away.

Draco didn't know why he was doing this, only that he wanted to and that it felt great.

Ever since the day of the Dementor attacks, his thoughts had been bombarded by her and though he would never admit it, he had wanted to see her again. To kiss her again…

Especially after his confrontation with his father, he had wanted nothing more than to see Ginny just for the satisfaction of knowing that he had done something his father would have detested.

His lips moved away from her mouth to her neck as he pushed himself against her. He could hear Ginny fighting to breathe as he moved his lips across her burning skin and he smiled when he heard her let out a loud moan as his hands found their way under her skirt.

"Stop… please," she begged, trying to ignore the amazing sensations that were shooting through her body at that moment. "Please…"

Upon hearing the desperation in Ginny's voice, Draco pulled away from her and for the first time he could see the pure fear in her eyes. He couldn't help but smirk.

"You're afraid of me."

It wasn't so much a question as it was a very certain statement.

Ginny stared at him for a moment before she managed to gather her wits about her and move from her spot by the wall.

"This shouldn't be happening," she muttered. "You're a Malfoy and I'm a Weasley. It's as simple as that."

When Draco didn't answer, she turned to see him watching her carefully, his eyes searching for something.

"Did you think it was anything else?" he asked coolly, watching for the familiar glint that passed over her eyes before she glared at him.

"Of course not! I just didn't realize how much of an idiot I was until a few days ago," she snapped, reaching the small corridor to the exit.

"So you _are_ afraid," Draco said, approaching her quickly and blocking the hall with his taller, stronger body. She tried to move past him before she looked to him, fear in her eyes.

"You killed Crabbe!"

Draco's eyes blazed as he grabbed her throat and pulled her face close to his.

"And you haven't said a word, so I have a feeling it says more about you than it does me, Weasley," he growled.

"You bastard," Ginny hissed. "You killed him!"

Draco rolled his eyes and released her. He walked around the room with his arms open wide.

"I _killed _him, Weasley. I killed Vincent Crabbe!" he shouted in a very exalted fashion before he turned to her, a long pale finger pointed right at her. "You say it as if I'm the only person you've ever met to have killed another person," he growled and suddenly Ginny felt a cold sensation wash over her. She didn't like where he was taking this. "Do you think your dear old dad is innocent? Or even Weasel King and Saint Potter?"

"They didn't kill someone in cold blood!"

Draco whirled around on her, his eyes blazing with rage as he grabbed her by the neck and slammed her into a wall.

"EVERYONE DIES IN COLD BLOOD!" he roared. "THERE IS NO JUSTIFIED DEATH SO WHY TRY TO?!"

Ginny quailed under the voice and couldn't look him in the eyes. He looked over her face for a moment then leaned in to her ear.

"Do you honestly think that your brother is any different from me in that respect?" he asked coldly, sending a shiver down her spine as she closed her eyes, trying to block out the images of her brothers using the killing curse. She knew Draco was right though. She just didn't want to admit it to him. She didn't have to though. He could tell by her silence that she had agreed with him.

"I thought so," he snarled before turning to go to his bedroom. "Every single _idiot_ in history has tried to justify death as a way of solving something. I believe that there's no point in trying to justify a death because it is impossible. So just kill the bastard."

"Are you going to kill me?"

"What?" Draco asked, turning to face her.

She finally looked him in the eye and bit her lip.

"Are you going to kill me… since you obviously see this thing as pointless?"

Draco stared at her for a moment before he approached her, causing her to shrink back into the wall. He stared at her for a moment before leaning into her ear.

"Who said it was pointless?"

He cringed within, hating that he sounded so much like Harry Potter.

This is what this girl had reduced him to… sounding like a bloody saint…

He heard Ginny gasp and he pulled away slightly to look into her wide blue eyes before he leaned in and kissed her again, moving closer to her so that he trapped her between himself and the wall. They kissed each other with a new passion, both trying to get as much out of it as possible and throwing all caution to the wind as they explored this new level of obsession.

Without breaking the heated kiss, Draco reached up and unclasped Ginny's robes, shoving them off her shoulder before he began to unbutton her blouse. Ginny protested for a moment, but after he released a growl of warning, she let him have his way. The moment he got her shirt off, he picked her up into his arms as she deftly wrapped her legs around his waist, their lips still moving against each other with such an aggressive passion that Ginny was afraid that if she didn't pull away to breathe soon she'd pass out.

Draco carried her carefully up the staircase and into the bedroom as she kicked off her shoes and he expertly stepped out of his shoes and socks. As he carried her, Ginny managed to unbutton his shirt and push it off his shoulders, her fingers running over his well-built chest with extreme appreciation.

They reached his bed and he quickly laid her down, his hands going up and down her body with such an intensity that she let out a loud moan of pleasure, her back arching as he pulled her impossibly close.

"Draco…"

Ginny was gasping for breath. Draco was touching and caressing places on her body that even she didn't know existed. His hands and lips roaming every inch of her.

"Oh God…"

Draco's hands were under her skirt and were toying with her knickers. His mouth was planting kisses all along her neck, down her throat and down the bone between her breasts.

"Draco!" she squealed when he bit down on her soft skin. Draco broke off his kisses for a few moments and looked into Ginny's eyes.

"What?" he asked, breathing hard as he tried to control his urge to rip off the rest of her clothing and ravish her right then and there. He saw her eyes close as she tried to compose a clear thought, but the hand that was on her thigh was doing things to her that discarded any rational thought out the window. For someone who was supposed to be a cruel, heartless bastard, his touch was unbelievably warm.

"Nothing…" she whispered, groaning as his lips met hers again, pulling her as close as their bodies would allow. He plunged his tongue into her mouth, causing her to moan. He marveled in the way her body felt against his. He felt powerful. Strength rippled through his muscles as he kissed her.

They had somehow managed to remove all outer clothing from each others bodies as they continued to spiral deeper into the explosive dreamland that was filling the room around them.

He hated her.

Hated her for her last name. He hated her for her luscious red hair. For her bloody family that was so completely opposite of his own, he was jealous. For making him feel the way he did when he was around her.

All the frustration that he felt escaped his lips in one loud growl as he pulled her closer. The noises she was making and the way her fingertips moved over him was causing him to feel things he had been taught to never think about for anyone. Yet, here he was, wanting something out of her that he had never wanted from any other girl.

More…

Their breathing became labored as they struggled to maintain some sense of reality. A reality that was outside of the walls of their room… a reality that didn't want them to be together and would do everything possible to make sure that it never happened…

Draco mind was completely mystified. Every part of his being was telling him to hate her… To curse her... Yet the lust he felt… The desire her touch brought crawling into his body stopped him.

His whole life he had been trained into the knowledge Weasleys were vile, poor and an utter nuisance. That they deserved to be put out of their misery. He still believed that.

Yet this one particular Weasley was doing things to him that he didn't understand, nor did he want to understand. He wanted Ginny. He wanted everything yet nothing. He hated her for that. He hated himself…

"Draco wait!"

Reality had once again crashed down upon Ginny and when it finally dawned on her what she was about to do and _who_ she was about to do it with, panic struck her. He could feel her literally shaking in his arms and he pulled away to see fear surge through her brown eyes.

"I can't," she gasped. "I can't, I can't, I can't."

She seemed to be trying to convince herself more than she was trying to convince Draco, who had never actually encountered this before. Well, that was a lie. He had encountered this once before, but in the end he had gotten what he had wanted anyway. But he had never seen so much fear. It was as if she had realized what he really was…

His eyes traveled over her body with lust and it took absolutely everything in his power not to dive back onto her. Something small inside of him… something he had shoved down a long time ago was starting to resurface as he saw her shaking underneath him.

Mercy…

He reached out to touch her face and she closed her eyes, afraid of what he might do. She felt him lean down on her, his hot breath teasing her skin.

"Please… I can't," she whispered pleadingly. Draco closed his eyes at the sound of her shaky voice and took a deep breath. He tried not to think about the fact that she was indeed lying half naked in his bed, trembling in fear beneath him. He tried not to think about how he was so close to satisfaction…

"Damn it, Weasley," he growled severely into her ear before he got up and left the room quickly, leaving her lying there. She closed her eyes and tried not to let the tears fall as she took a calming breath.

"What am I _doing_?"

* * *

Dumbledore looked up from his desk to see Professor Snape, Professor McGonagall and Professor Sprout enter his office, a disturbed look on their faces.

"Severus? What is it?"

Severus handed Dumbledore a mask. A Death Eater mask.

Dumbledore stared at it for a moment before looking up at the Potion's Master.

"Where did you find this?"

"Not me, Albus," the man replied, stepping aside to Professor Sprout. Dumbledore's eyes widened.

"Pamona?"

The little woman nodded her head nervously.

"It was in the Hufflepuff common room. A first year student found it in the third year dormitory," she explained. McGonagall moved over to the desk.

"Albus," she said quietly. "I fear that the situation at Hogwarts is much more dangerous than we suspected. It is not just Slytherins who are to be feared any more."

Dumbledore sat back in his chair and remained silent for a while, thinking through his next words.

"Then… we shall have to prolong the Ministry presence here at Hogwarts."

"What about the out door classes and activities?" Sprout asked. "We cannot keep the students inside for so long. Three have already been expelled!"

Snape glanced at his colleague for a moment before stepping forward.

"Sir, if I may offer a solution to the student's _anxiety_," he said with a hint of sarcasm.

Dumbledore nodded.

"Yes?"

"A Halloween ball. It would give the students something to keep their minds off deterred while we figure out what is going on," he suggested.

McGonagall frowned.

"A ball? Severus, this is no time to make light of-"

"He has a point, Minerva."

They all turned to Dumbledore, who stood up.

"While we deal with this new problem," he said, holding up the mask. "The students shall have a ball."

* * *

Warrington smiled as he entered the small clearing in the Forbidden Forest.

"Well, well, well… if it isn't our little friend, Blaise Zabini," he sneered, walking up to the boy who was bound magically.

"You sound so surprised, Warrington," Blaise replied coldly, his black eyes expressing absolutely nothing.

Warrington ignored the comment, turning to the boy next to him.

"Does Malfoy know he's missing?"

The boy shook his head with a grin.

"As far as we know Malfoy's shacked up with some girl. He won't know until tomorrow morning."

Warrington nodded.

"Good," he hissed, turning on his heel and heading back towards the castle. "Make sure Zabini disappears for a while."

Blaise watched Warrington leave before turning his eyes onto the boy near by.

"Tell me, Jacobs… how's mother?"

The boy's eyes widened and then narrowed with anger. He punched Blaise in the stomach several times until the Slytherin began to spit up blood, his laughter filling the Warrington's boys with feelings of a sinister nature.

"I take it not too well."

**A/N: Okay, I'm taking a break from this to try to finish Awake, which I _have not_ forgotten! So I'm just going to leave you all going, "what the hell?!"**

**nextbestthing:** They are a _very _interesting couple, mostly because Luna is barely aware of the fact that he means more to her than she wants.

**Jessica:** I'm glad you liked it so much! It's hard to write a fic where so little is known about the actual characters. You have to make up a personality, humanity for the person and then try to keep to it throughout the entire fic. It's sooooo hard!

**ronandmion4ever:** Warrington's kind of the middle man between Draco and Lucius, kind of... As for Ron and Hermione, I think they got over that little hump in this chapter. Don't worry though, _all_ next chapter is _just_ Draco and Ginny. I promise. It will be _very_ interesting. It was very interesting to write. To be quite honest, this chapter and the next chapter had a very different ending when it came to D/G, but I decided that I didn't want Ginny completely taken over by Draco. I still wanted her to maintain some sense of her morals, while still falling in love with Draco.

**writerchick1:** The whole what are they question is answered in the next chapter. Don't worry! There will be a lot more exploration of Draco's character in the next few chapters. As for people realizing that they're a... whatever they are... Draco's much too careful to let that happen. :-)

**Skepo:** Thank you!

**tamara72:** I think many of you spoke a bit too soon when it came to Ron and Hermione. As for the Trio's involvement in Draco's conflict with his father and the Death Eaters, that is something we'll just have to see about.

**purplegabby123:** It's good to see that you liked the three so much! I'll update this one as soon as I update my other story.

**Chapter Tease: **

_"Draco!" she cried, writhing on the ground in pain. "Draco, please… I was just joking!"_

_Draco was standing over her, his wand aimed straight at her head. _

_"I don't joke," he growled, placing a foot on her shoulder and rolling her over so that she was looking up at him. "You know that."_

_"Draco… mercy!"_


	10. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly pt 1

_In real love you want the other person's good. In romantic love you want the other person._ **-Margaret Anderson**

* * *

Ginny was awoken by a shifting beside her. She felt the immediate warmth that the body next to her had provided leave and she slowly opened her eyes to see what was going on. She saw Draco crossing the room in nothing but black boxers, carrying a large black bird on his arm. She lay there in silence and watched as he opened the window and released the bird before shutting the window again, the events of last night crashing down upon her in one huge confusing wave.

When he turned around he froze upon seeing her watching him and they stared at each other for a moment, neither moving. Then he moved, coming over to her and sitting down on the bed beside her. He leaned in and kissed her, moving his lips against hers quickly before pulling away. He reached up and moved some of her hair out of her face, tracing her face with his fingers.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

She just stared at him, shocked and confused by his sudden gentleness towards her after what had happened last night.

"I'm fine," she whispered, still a little shaken by what she had almost done. "Why?"

He shrugged, looking slightly amused.

"No particular reason. You just seemed a little out of breath last night," he said, smirking when a deep blush flooded her face. She pulled the sheets more tightly around her as she avoided his knowing gaze. He watched her for a while, noticing how her bright red hair fell around her pale freckled skin… skin he had explored zealously only the night before…

He was brought out of his thoughts by a tapping at the window. They looked over to see a small school owl hovering at the small window just above the ground. Draco let out a small growl of annoyance and stood to get the owl. He snatched the letter out of the bird's mouth and then shoved it unceremoniously out the window again. Ginny let out a small snort while trying to stifle the laugh that had formed at the back of her throat. He gave her a look and she smiled.

"Apparently you treat _all_ things like they're beneath you," she commented as he came over and sat back down beside her. He sniffed and opened the letter.

"All things _are_ beneath me," he said, reading over the letter. "It's from the Mudblood."

"Her name is Hermione Granger… you can call her Hermione or Granger… I don't care. Just don't call her that," Ginny said, reaching out and snatching the letter out of his fingers.

"I'll call her what I like, _Weasley_," Draco growled, taking back the letter and reading over it before crumpling it up in his fist and tossing it over into the corner. Ginny propped herself up on her elbows, leaning up to him so that their faces were close.

"Is it your natural disposition to be unpleasant, or do you just practice every night before you go to bed?" she asked, meeting his eyes with a certain cheekiness in her voice.

Draco couldn't help but smirk back, shaking his head as he leaned in and kissed her.

"I didn't have time to practice last night," he muttered into her lips and she blushed.

"If your ego was _any_ bigger," she whispered, pulling away from him slightly. "It would probably be an entire continent."

Draco fingered a piece of her red hair, looking over her face pensively.

"I was just being honest, Weasley. If you're going to be cynical about it then I'll just have to throw you out," he muttered, leaning in and kissing her again. Ginny just smiled.

"Apparently, you _are_ naturally unpleasant," she whispered into Draco's lips. They kissed for a moment before Ginny pulled away, frowning.

"About last night-"

Draco placed a finger to her lips, silencing her.

"You're not the first girl to freak out, Weasley."

Ginny stared at him, her heart beating madly.

"But you stopped…" she pointed out. His eyes clouded over for a moment before he reached up and touched her face.

"There's a first time for everything," he murmured before he pulled her closer, wanting nothing more than to be as close to her as he possibly could. Ginny could feel her mind clouding over as Draco's hands began to move from her sides to the rest of her body, roaming up her back, her breath shortening with every slight caress. When he began to pull the sheets away from her though, she pulled away slightly, her eyes closed as she tried to think.

"Um… what did Hermione want?" she asked softly, biting her lip when Draco's head dipped to her neck and his lips made contact with her skin. "Draco…"

"Hmm?"

"What… what did… um… what did Hermione want?" she asked again with much struggle. He shook his head, pulling her closer.

"Nothing of importance," he mumbled into her skin.

"Draco," Ginny whispered and he pulled away with a raised eyebrow.

"The _Mudblood_ wanted to know when you were going to leave," he growled.

Ginny's eyes widened in shock.

"She… she knows I'm here?"

Draco rolled his eyes and stood up, moving over to his desk.

"Of course she knows you're here. You need some sort of alibi for not arriving to breakfast on a _beautiful_ Saturday morning," he replied somewhat sarcastically.

Ginny frowned.

"_You_ told her?"

Draco pulled a disgusted sneer.

"Don't insult me, Weasley. I would _never_ bother sending her a letter. I'd probably kill myself before I tried to write a letter to the thing. What do you take me for?"

Ginny sighed.

_You can't change a Malfoy. _

"So one of your people told her… why?"

Draco walked back over to her, sitting down beside her once again.

"Because you overslept. You seemed a bit… flustered last night," he said, causing her to blush even more. She looked away from him, too embarrassed to meet his knowing stare.

"That was very considerate of you," she whispered. "For last night as well…"

Draco smirked.

"I can be considerate quite often," he said. "You people are always so surprised when I am."

"For good reason," Ginny whispered, glancing up at him. "There is a very big difference between consideration and mercy." He was about to lean in and kiss her again, but for some reason he stopped himself and stood up slowly, his eyes darkening.

"Yes, well…" he muttered, moving over to a large armchair, where he lowered himself carefully like one who had practiced this many times before. Ginny watched him from where she lay before taking the time to look around the large bedroom.

There was only one mirror in the entire room to the right of her, higher than normal windows so Ginny assumed the room was mostly underground. There was a faint ray of light that shone through the window, illuminating the room with an uneven glow. There were Slytherin rugs that decorated the floor while a few snake statues made the room rather ominous. There was a door to the left that most likely led to a bathroom. Like in Hermione's room, there was a fireplace, couch, desk and armchair, but unlike Ginny's friend's room, Draco's contained a large silver basin in the far corner of the room, only visible from the bed.

_A pensive_, Ginny thought.

The bed… the posts were covered in beautiful black and green curtains while the sheets were a black satin that covered her body comfortably.

"Will anyone miss you?" she heard herself asking while she looked around the barren walls.

"My people are taking care of anyone who wants to see me," came Draco's rehearsed answer.

Ginny looked over to see him watching her through upset eyes. She pulled the sheets out of the bed, wrapped them around herself and got out of the bed, moving over to him. She stood right in front of him and climbed onto the armchair so that she was straddling him.

"What about Pansy Parkinson?" she asked quietly.

Draco grabbed her hips firmly in his hands, pulling her flush against him, their lips a hairsbreadth apart.

"Parkinson can go to hell," he growled before pulling her into a fierce kiss, his hands moving between the sheets to make contact with her bare skin. She gasped then pulled away a little. Draco let out a sigh of frustration.

"You Weasley's and your morals," he muttered. Ginny fixed him with a look.

"At lease we have morals," she replied. Draco raised an eyebrow.

"I'm not to sure. You were okay until I-"

Ginny cut him off with a soft kiss. Draco instinctively pulled her closer, deepening the kiss. Then Ginny pulled away, leaning her head against Draco's, a pensive look on her face.

"You know… I was just thinking," she whispered.

"There's a surprise," Draco interrupted before she could continue. "I didn't know you Gryffindor lot were capable of thinking. Just a lot of useless-"

Ginny cut him off with a quick kiss before she pulled away.

"You know, Malfoy. You can be a _real_ pain in the arse when you want to be," she said with a smile. He stared at her for a moment and she couldn't help but kiss him softly. He pulled her closer and her lips opened against his, signaling him to deepen their kiss. As his tongue grazed lightly against hers, she moaned into his mouth and Draco instantly felt himself grow aroused.

"Bugger," he growled into her lips, pulling her impossibly closer. He needed to stop. He knew he should for her sake. But she was so soft… so warm…

A frustrated growl escaped his lips and he pulled away, leaning his head between the crook of her neck and taking a deep breath. The scent of apples and cinnamon filled his nostrils and nearly drove him insane with want.

What was this girl doing to him?

"What were you thinking about?" he asked breathlessly. She wasn't helping matters by breathing directly into his ear. The sounds that escaped her lips were driving him insane.

Ginny could hear the aggravation in his voice and felt her heart swell at his self control. It took her a moment to remember that she had actually had a point to make before. Ginny took another deep breath before speaking.

"_Anyway_… I was just thinking… if my brothers found out about this, they'd probably come and kill you."

Draco pulled away from her and raised an eyebrow, looking annoyed.

"You stopped a perfectly good snog to send me dark omens about my future?"

Ginny smiled.

"Which perfectly good snog are you talking about, because you seemed to be struggling a bit just now," she commented, knowing that it would only make him even more annoyed.

It did.

He grabbed her aggressively by the hips, forcing her right up against him and making her gasp, then close her eyes as she struggled to keep a clear mind. His arousal was now very apparent to her and it took everything in her power not to go against what she had done last night. He leaned into her ear, his breath tickling her ear and neck.

"Damn it, Weasley… why can't you be like the others?" he asked, not realizing what he had said until she pulled away, frowning. For the first time since he'd really begun to come closer to her, she actually looked indignant.

"The others? You want me to be like the others?" she asked, standing up. "Just because all those other _whores_ decide that it's worth a story or two to say they had a shag with the infamous Draco Malfoy, doesn't mean I'm going to strip myself of _all_ moral values and let you have at it."

Draco raised an eyebrow, standing up so that he was now at least a head taller than her.

"Whores? I do not sleep with _whores_, Weasley," he said, watching her carefully as she glared at him.

"What about Pansy Parkinson?"

Draco let out a long-suffered sigh, but he could understand her reason for asking. Unlike any other girl in Draco's life, Pansy was the most dominant and most constant. Ginny was afraid of her… a smirk crept to his lips.

"I will admit, Pansy Parkinson _is_ a whore. The others are just… nothings," he said and her eyes instantly brightened.

It was in that moment that Draco Malfoy realized something.

Ginny Weasley was in love with him…

He had seen it on the faces of many girls who had passed through his bedroom door and even in the eyes of Blaise when he looked over at that Lovegood girl, but all those times he had ignored it because it never affected him personally.

But now…

Draco's mind went over the past month and cursed himself mentally. His own actions towards Ginny had shown more about his feelings towards her than he would have cared to. And then last night, he had allowed dangerous thoughts dance through his head as he held her close to him. Thoughts of a reality that was so far removed from his own that it was ludicrous. But he had thought them anyway…

He had declined himself the pleasure of having her so that she would feel safer… so that she would stay pure…

His eyes traveled over Ginny's face carefully, taking in her beautiful brown eyes and tempting pink lips. He groaned inwardly. She was going to kill him with this whole celibacy thing…

Surprising her, Draco grabbed her and hefted her up into his arms.

"Draco," Ginny gasped, wrapping her legs around his waist to prevent herself from falling. He pulled her close to him and their lips met in a dizzying kiss that made Ginny moan. "Draco," she whispered into his mouth. She grabbed his face in her hands, deepening the kiss as he moved over to the bed, but before he made it, a knock came to the door.

Ginny and Draco stared at each other for a moment until the person knocked again and Ginny was forced to stand up and pick up the sheets while Draco grabbed a robe, moved over to the door and opened it, revealing Goyle and Rockwell. Upon seeing Draco's state of undress their eyes unwittingly went to the inside of the room and fell upon Ginny, who was standing by the armchair, clutching the sheets closely to her and blushing deeply.

They immediately removed their eyes from her and looked down at the ground, knowing Draco's need for privacy.

"Blaise is missing and since Dervus is still missing the Aurors are starting to question people…" Rockwell muttered, glancing once again over at Ginny to indicate what he was talking about.

Draco stiffened at the news and instantly knew who was to blame.

"Where's Warrington?"

Goyle shook his head.

"Went missing for twenty minutes then reappeared in the common room. Blaise went missing around the same time."

"The Aurors?"

"They haven't asked about you yet, but I suspect they're just biding their time. Rayne wants to see you though," Rockwell answered quickly.

Draco nodded curtly, glancing between the two.

"Then send her up in about twenty minutes. Anything else?" he asked.

Rockwell's face tinged and Draco knew it wasn't necessarily important. He asked anyway.

"What is it?"

Rockwell glanced over at Goyle.

"Pansy's been asking for you," Rockwell muttered. "She wants to know why you've been avoiding her."

"What did you tell her?"

"That you had better things to do."

"More like better people to do," Goyle couldn't help but muttering before sobering up instantly and backing away. "She wants to know where you are?" he said quickly.

"Tell her to go screw herself," Draco growled, choosing to ignore the previous comment. Rockwell and Goyle glanced over at each other again.

"Well, that's the thing. She says if she can't see you, she's going to go see Warrington."

They could all see the anger in Draco's eyes at that piece of news. He glanced behind him at Ginny, who was still standing there watching him with worried eyes.

"Send her in," he muttered before turning back to his cronies. "Send her in."

The two nodded and started to leave.

"We'll wait downstairs," Goyle said hastily.

Draco nodded and shut the door, taking a deep breath before turning to Ginny.

"You need to get into that closet," he said, snatching up his wand from under his pillow. He flicked it at the clothes on the floor and it all went flying to the large closet in the corner. Goyle and Rockwell would deal with the clothes downstairs.

"Why?"

Draco glanced over at her before he moved past her to his desk.

"Well, unless you want to see Pansy begging for her life," he said over his shoulder as he opened the window. There was a flutter of wings and the huge black bird, Judas, came flying through, landing on the perch.

"I'm not going to tell you again, Weasley," he said, looking at her. "Get in the closet."

Ginny bit her lip but did as she was told, shuffling across to the closet and getting in. She left it cracked open so she could see what was going on. A minute later the door opened and Pansy Parkinson came gliding in, a smirk on her plastic features.

"Draco," she said silkily. "It's been a while."

Draco sat down in the armchair and stared at her with cold unfeeling eyes.

"You have a lot of nerve threatening me, Parkinson," Draco replied in a deceptively calm voice.

Pansy lifted her chin indignantly, her dark eyes flashing with anger.

"_You_ have a lot of nerve ignoring me for the past month," she growled. She had never been able to mask her anger as well as Draco had.

Draco shrugged.

"I don't have to explain myself to you and you bloody well know that," he said coolly.

Pansy walked over to him, her dark eyes meeting his with a mixture of lust and rage. She climbed up onto the armchair and straddled him. She undid the knot to the robe and pulled the robe open to expose his chest.

"Then let me explain something to you, Draco. You _can't_ replace me," she growled into his ear, her hands running over his chest seductively. Ginny forced herself to look away, her heart constricting painfully at the sight. "I don't care _how _many whores you bring up here. You can't replace me and you know it."

Draco smirked, pulling her closer to him, their lips barely touching.

"You've forgotten your place, Pansy," he whispered. "So I'm going to make you remember."

Pansy's eyes widened and she suddenly screamed, bringing Ginny's eyes back to the small crack in the door. Pansy had fallen to the floor, clutching her bleeding side in pain. A small letter opener lay near her.

"Draco!" she cried, writhing on the ground in pain. "Draco, please… I was just joking!"

Draco was standing over her, his wand aimed straight at her head.

"I don't joke, Parkinson," he growled, placing a foot on her shoulder and rolling her over so that she was looking up at him. "You know that."

"Draco… mercy!" she gasped.

Draco leaned down and grabbed her around the neck, pulling her up so that her feet barely touched the floor as she tried to pry his fingers from around her throat.

"The next time you think that you can get me to sleep with you just by threatening me, I'll have you killed," he snarled before dropping her. She fell to her knees, gasping for breath. "Understood?"

Pansy nodded quickly and scrambled out of the room. Ginny waited for a moment before stepping out of the closet. Draco looked at her for a moment before he turned to the owl.

"You have to go," he said firmly, taking out a piece of parchment, quill and ink. Ginny frowned and went over to him, taking his arm in her hand.

"Draco… what's going on?" she asked.

For a moment, he wanted to tell her to bugger off and mind her own damn business. He wanted her to leave. But the moment later, he wanted nothing more than to escape from reality and get lost in her… no matter how far that meant he would be limited to. His mind felt so conflicted that he found himself speaking truthfully for the first time in a very long time.

"I don't know," he whispered, gripping the back of the desk chair tightly. She bit her lip and watched him for a moment, seeing millions of emotions cross his normally icy face. She removed her hand and looked down at the floor. Ginny's skin chilled and she could feel goose bumps run across her skin as her mind went back to the look in Draco's eyes when he had been told the news of Zabini's disappearance. The closeness she'd felt to him only hours before suddenly felt lost.

Something evil had seeped through the walls of Hogwarts while she had slept last night, forcing Draco to bring himself back to a reality he was much more equipped to handle. For some reason, he was glad that she had stopped him before they had gone all the way. This way, he would be able to focus more on what he need to rather than… well… rather than her…

Before either one could say anything more the bedroom door opened once again, but this time a little girl came in, carrying the same stuffed snake Ginny had seen at the Shrieking Shack.

"Draco?" the little girl asked and the Slytherin looked over at her. For the first time in Ginny's life, she saw a genuine smile come to Draco's face as he left her side and went over to Rayne. He picked her up and held her on his hip.

"How are you?" he asked.

She smiled at him widely.

"Uncle Greg let me play chess with him," she said.

"And you won?"

Rayne nodded and her grin widened.

"Yes!"

It was then that her eyes caught sight of Ginny, standing there watching them.

"Ginny!"

Ginny tried to smile and waved at the girl.

"Hello," she whispered, her eyes meeting Draco's. "Are you-"

"Rayne, wait out side for a minute," Draco interjected, knowing exactly what Ginny was about to ask.

"But-"

"Now."

The little girl left and Draco turned to Ginny.

"You need to go, now," he growled, moving past her and writing down a quick note on the parchment.

"I'm not helpless, Draco," Ginny snapped. She wasn't about to let him push her away. She knew that last night had not been the best of circumstances for her, but they had still come close enough for her to realize that she didn't want to be turned away.

Draco turned to her, darkness filling his troubled grey eyes.

"You don't understand the situation that you're in," he hissed.

"I watched you kill a man. I think I'm _perfectly_ aware of the situation that I'm in," Ginny shot back. Draco's eyes flashed dangerously and he advanced on her.

"You keep talking to me like that and it won't be Pansy Parkinson that you have to worry about," he snarled.

"You keep threatening me and you'll have more to worry about than just my brother," she snapped back and for a moment it seemed as if he were about to wring her neck. But instead, he turned and handed the letter in his hand to the bird.

"Get out," he growled.

"Don't treat me like a child."

He whirled around.

"Then stop acting like one and leave quietly!" he snarled.

Ginny watched him for a moment then approached him cautiously.

"What are you protecting me from?"

"If you have to ask, then you don't deserve an answer," he whispered, watching her as she stepped in front of him, a hard look on her face. She stared at him for a while before she spoke.

"You know… for a person who hates Harry Potter so much, you're starting to sound a lot like him…"

He had her against the wall in a second, his fingers curled dangerously around her throat.

"Don't you _ever_ equate me to Potter," he snarled, glaring at her. Ginny matched his gaze.

"Then don't treat me like he did…"

Draco stared at her for a moment then leaned in and kissed her. But unlike the other times, he took his time, savoring every moment… there would be no more after this…

He pressed himself against Ginny, leaving her moaning as he took the initiative to explore her mouth, prodding around and coaxing a deep moan from her. Ginny felt herself slowly fading away as Draco's taller, stronger frame pushed against hers. Though she knew she had to stop before things got out of hand, she also wanted so much just to stay and be near him…

As the passion grew, so did the intensity of their kisses. Just the proximity of their bodies was doing things to Draco's mind that he'd rather not try to figure out, but enjoy. Her gasps and whimpers were doing things to him as well, her soft cries pushing him on as he moved from her lips to her neck.

But he needed her to leave. He needed her to get away from him, but he didn't want to be deprived of the feelings she brought to him with her presence and he wasn't ready to deal with the feelings that flooded him when she left…

"What are you doing to me?" he growled into her skin. "Damn it, what are you doing to me?"

Ginny could feel Draco struggling internally on whether or not to pull away from her and rather than have him make the choice, she pulled away herself. They stared at each other for a while and then she moved away from the wall to the closet. Draco watched as she dropped the sheets from herself and stood there for a moment in nothing but dark green knickers and matching bra. It took everything in his power not to sneer at the very bad reminder of a boy he'd rather not think about.

"I'll go," she whispered, going to pick up her skirt and shoes. "But that doesn't mean I'm not coming back." There was silence as she put her skirt back on. "Where's my shirt?"

"Downstairs."

"Oh…" Then she walked back over to Draco, who was now leaning a shoulder against the wall, watching her. She leaned up and kissed him quickly.

"You know, Draco… you're not as insufferable as I said you were," she whispered. Draco cocked an eyebrow.

"But I'm still a rat bastard?"

Ginny shrugged, a glint of mischief in her eye.

"Always," she whispered, leaning in to kiss him again. This time though, he stopped her. If he kissed her anymore, he'd end up dragging her back to the bed to finish what had been interrupted last night and that was something he didn't need to happen.

"Get out of here, Weasley," he hissed and she smiled.

"I suppose asking you to call me Ginny would be too much?"

He gave her a ghost of a smile and walked over to his desk.

"Good bye."

Ginny gave no response as she left, knowing that he wanted very much for her to disappear from here. That didn't bother Draco… he was used to silence. It was what kept him from going completely insane.

The faint scent of cinnamon and apples still lingered on him and he closed his eyes, letting out a long-suffering sigh.

It was in that moment Draco knew he was a dead man… He had revealed so much of himself to Ginny that if she was ever captured… he would die…

Taking a deep breath, he went to the bathroom and stood in front of the mirror. He saw a hint of confusion in his grey eyes and instantly crushed it, leaving behind the detached, hardened mask that many had come to know and fear.

This was the young man that would make Warrington pay for ever messing with him…

This was the Slytherin Prince that everyone feared…

This was the hated son that had learned at an early age to either bury your feelings so deep inside you that they were almost nonexistent or die by the hand that fed you for so many years…

This was _the_ Draco Malfoy…

**A/N: I hope you enjoy.**

**hpfreaklol:** I'm glad you like it so much!

**jjp91:** Thank you!

**writerchik1:** Well, if you think Draco was frustrated in the last chapter, you should wait and see what happens next.

**tamara72:** I'm happy you enjoyed the 'hotness' of the scene. I hope this whole chapter was good for you as well.

**purplegabby123:** Thank you so much!

**Skepo:** Well, you know. Ginny has to keep some sense of her 'former self' even though she is with a sex-driven sociopath. (A very sexy, witty, sex-driven sociopath) :-)

**nextbestthing:** Yeah, I have to go back and change that. I'm just too lazy to. I'll try and do that soon, though.

**Jessica:** Well, you know Draco and Ginny. It's all about the passion in the relationship. It's nice to know you enjoyed it.

**jazmin:** Well, as long as you said please!


	11. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly pt 2

_Fighting is essentially a masculine idea; a woman's weapon is her tongue._ **-?Hermione Gingold**

* * *

By the time Ginny reached her dorm, changed into some more appropriate clean clothes and left again without being seen, it was already time for lunch. She slipped in with a group of third year girls and made it to the Great Hall with out the Aurors noticing. Ron however, did notice her when she entered the partially empty Great Hall.

"There you are! I thought you were feeling sick," he said, scooting over to make room between himself and Luna Lovegood, who was sitting with them. Ginny glanced over at Hermione, who had a mixture of disapproval and amusement in her eyes.

"Well… I was feeling a bit better," she muttered, grabbing a muffin and pouring herself some pumpkin juice. "Did I miss anything?"

Hermione couldn't help but speak up.

"We were actually discussing Malfoy."

Ginny spluttered over her juice and took a deep breath, shooting a warning look at Hermione, who looked even more amused. The others just looked confused.

"You alright, Gin?" Harry asked from across the table. Ginny glanced over at him before looking down at her muffin, trying to hide the deep blush that was creeping on to her face.

"Fine, thank you. Why would you be talking about Dra… Malfoy?" she asked, correcting herself quickly before the boys noticed. Luna glanced over at Ginny with a knowing look before she continued to read the magazine in her hand. Hermione continued to speak.

"Oh nothing… just wondering why he didn't show up at breakfast this morning. He's been missing _all_ morning," she said, fixing Ginny with a look. Ginny chose to ignore it.

"Well, maybe he wasn't _doing_ anything," Ginny said pointedly, hoping Hermione would get her drift. "Or perhaps he's busy dealing with the Aurors," she suggested. "I heard that they've been questioning students about the disappearance of Blaise Zabini."

As she finished saying this, Luna made a small strangled noise, but didn't move from her position. Ron glanced up at her from his food, a frown on his face.

"How do you know about Zabini? I thought you were in bed all morning," he said turning to his sister and Ginny's face reddened.

"I… well, I heard about it on my way down to lunch," she replied quickly. She glanced around the Great Hall. "I'm supposing that's where half the school is?"

Harry nodded.

"Ron, Hermione and I have already been questioned."

Ron snorted.

"More like we showed up, they took one look at Harry and told him there was absolutely no point of him being down there. Hermione and I were the ones who were questioned," he corrected with a grin. Harry rolled his eyes and glanced around again.

"They've been looking for Malfoy all day, really. You should probably go down there when you're done just so you don't have to face the wrath of McGonagall. She's getting on every Gryffindor who hasn't been down for questioning yet," he explained.

Ginny nodded.

"Where is it?"

"Filch's office," Luna said suddenly, causing everyone to look at her strangely before going back to what they were doing. Ginny just smiled and began to eat, ignoring the looks Hermione was shooting her occasionally. She wasn't ready to explain to anyone neither what had happened the night before nor what had happened this morning. So until she did, she would ignore Hermione.

"Did you hear about the ball?" Lavender Brown asked, sitting down next to Ron, much to the annoyance of Hermione, who took a break from glaring at Ginny to turn to the girl.

"Of course I heard about it, Lavender. I _am_ Head Girl," she said curtly, eyeing the hand Lavender had placed on Ron's arm, not that the redheaded boy had noticed.

_Always the oblivious one,_ Hermione thought with a smirk. Lavender shot her a look.

"Well, we all know that, don't we? You flash that badge around every time you see something move," she replied with a false smile.

Ron, though not aware of the real reason why the two girls were smiling at each other, could feel the tension mounting around him. Harry looked completely confused and Ginny was trying to hide a smile. Luna wasn't paying attention.

"Well, I wouldn't have to flash it around if you weren't constantly in the halls snogging every thing that moved," Hermione retorted smartly, giving Lavender the same forced smile.

Lavender looked ready to attack.

"Why you-"

Ron stood up quickly and grabbed Ginny's arm, pulling her up as well.

"You know, Ginny. I think I'll walk you down to Filch's office," he said. "Hermione, you want to join me?"

Hermione stood, glaring at Lavender.

"Sure," she muttered, grabbing her bag and marching out, leaving Harry and Luna to deal with an incensed young woman.

* * *

When they reached Filch's office, there were at least fifty other students gathered outside the door, conversing quietly with each other. Surprisingly, Draco Malfoy was amongst them, though he was uncommonly by himself. He caught Ginny's eyes and smirked, forcing her to turn away, blushing.

"There are a lot of people down here," she whispered to Hermione and Ron.

Ron shrugged, looking around the space as well.

"Speak of the devil, there's Malfoy," he muttered. Hermione, instead of looking to where Ron was indicating, met eyes with Ginny.

"Finally decided to show, did he?" she asked pointedly. Ginny only blushed harder.

"Stop," she hissed.

Hermione only shrugged and folded her arms across her chest.

"Stop what? Stop something that supposedly never started?"

Ron looked between the two girls, completely confused.

"What are you two talking about?" he asked.

"Nothing," Ginny snapped quickly. "Because _nothing_ happened" With that said, she turned away from Hermione. Hermione finally understood what Ginny was trying to say and gave her an approving look.

"Good for you, Ginny," she muttered and Ginny blushed. Ron was about to say something when someone behind them whistled and made an extremely rude and suggestive comment about his sister. Ron's eyes narrowed and he turned toward the speaker.

"Say it again, Warrington and I'll blow your bits off," he growled. Hermione took his arm.

"Ron, leave it be," she hissed. "He's not worth a detention."

Warrington smiled, coming down the stairs and leaning against the wall.

"Well, Weasley, at least I have bits to blow off. It seems that the Mudblood's taken all of yours," he jeered. "What a whore." A few Slytherins sniggered.

Ron took a step in Warrington's direction.

"Don't call her that," he snarled.

"What? Mudblood? Or whore?"

"You bastard, take it back!"

"Ron, don't," Ginny whispered, pulling on his arm.

"You know Weasley, I bet that sister of yours is great to have next to you on a warm night. Would you like to recommend any sort of position she could take to make that night even better?"

Ginny glanced over at Draco, who had not moved from his spot in the corner. Though his eyes gave away nothing, she could see his jaw clench and his body stiffen at the suggestion. But he didn't move. Ron did.

Before anyone could say or do anything, Ron was on top of Warrington, beating the crap out of him.

"RON!" Hermione screamed. "RON STOP IT!"

Everyone else was either egging Ron on or just trying to get a better view of the two as they fought. During this time, two boys, a Gryffindor and a Slytherin, bumped into each other.

"Did you just shove me?"

"No, I didn't. If I shoved you, you would be on the ground. Like this!"

The Gryffindor shoved the Slytherin down to the ground and suddenly a huge fight erupted in the small confines of the hallway. Younger students tried to move out of the way while people fought.

"Bitch!"

A Slytherin girl grabbed a Gryffindor's long blonde hair and yanked her from the wall and punched her in the face. Ginny's eyes widened and she and Hermione made their way towards the corner near Draco, where many had gathered to stay out of the way.

"STOP IT, NOW!!" Hermione screamed above the pandemonium. It didn't work. Ron and Warrington couldn't even be seen in the melee anymore. "RON!"

Ginny bumped into someone behind her and turned to see Draco standing directly behind her, smirking down at her. She blushed and turned back to the fight. She felt him lean into her ear.

"Now would be a good time to escape without being seen," he whispered into her ear.

"I've had enough of you for one night," she whispered, trying to ignore the hand that had slipped around her waist unnoticed and pulled her close to him. "Now _really _isn't the time," she hissed, pushing away his hand and pushing her way through a few students to distance herself from the temptation that was Draco Malfoy. He felt the loss of her immediately, but chose instead to leave, knowing that the Aurors would show up soon. He was not in the mood for facing them at the moment.

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!"

There was a blinding blue light and suddenly every student was shoved in different directions as the huge mass of fighting youth was dispersed quickly. Ginny and Hermione looked around to see Alastor Moody standing at the door of Filch's office with Filch and a scared looking Ravenclaw.

"WELL?" the man bellowed, looking irritated.

No one spoke, but they didn't have to. It was obvious by the enormity of their wounds, which had started the whole thing.

"Warrington! Weasley! Front and center!" he barked and the two young men limped over to him, glaring at each other. "Inside!" They went into the office and Moody turned to the others.

"All of you better be in your common rooms in ten minutes or I'll have you all expelled!"

Hermione whimpered and led the way up the stairs, glancing back occasionally as if hoping to see Ron following them.

"Not you, Granger! I want you to find that Head Boy and report to Dumbledore's office. He needs to know what happened," Moody shouted after her.

Hermione met eyes with Ginny before pushing her ahead.

"I'll see you later," she whispered before hurrying off after a group of Slytherin girls to the Head Boy's quarters.

* * *

Everyone looked up to see Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley enter the Gryffindor common room, five hours after the fight. Ron looked thoroughly chastised with a large red mark on his face. The rest of his bruises from the fight were gone. Hermione looked like she was ready to hit him and judging by the way she was glaring at him, it would not be the first time.

"What happened?" Dean asked instantly.

Hermione didn't answer. Instead she continued to glare at Ron, who skulked all the way over to the stairs and went up to the boy's dormitories. When he had disappeared, she turned to everyone.

"Well… I the only good news I can give all of you is that nobody got expelled," she said.

"What?!" Ginny exclaimed. "Ron's not expelled? And neither is Warrington?"

Hermione shook her head.

"No one is expelled."

"Why?" a third year asked.

"Because Dumbledore thought of an even better punishment… for _all_ of us," she added pointedly.

"What is it?"

"Yeah! What do we have to do? Detention?"

"Do we not get to have the Halloween Ball?"

Hermione shook her head again.

"No, we're having the ball. We're just not going with each other."

"What?"

Hermione sighed.

"Every Gryffindor allowed to attend the ball has to go with a Slytherin," she said loudly and the common room exploded in protests. She held up her hands for silence.

"It was either that or have every student that was down there expelled! Even the ones who didn't fight!" she shouted.

"But it's the Halloween Ball!" Parvati Patil whined.

"Well you should have thought about that before you all joined in," Hermione snapped.

Everyone was still complaining.

"I'll have you know… Malfoy was ready to give all of you detention for the rest of the year," Hermione added, but something told Ginny that Hermione was just saying that to make the students fell better about the actual decision. Hermione came over to where Ginny was sitting with Harry.

"Dumbledore really said that?" Harry asked, revolted at the thought of having to go to the Ball with a Slytherin.

Hermione nodded sadly, glancing over at Ginny, who was obviously not taking the news as hard as everyone else.

"That's why it took so long for us to come back. Malfoy and I were trying to find other ways of handling the whole thing," she said. "Though Malfoy not as much. He seemed to find the whole thing… _amusing_," she added, giving Ginny a pointed look that Harry missed. Ginny shrugged, ignoring the look.

"I couldn't imagine why," she said, looking around the common room. "Why did Ron go upstairs?"

Hermione rolled her eyes.

"I told him it would be safer for him to be upstairs when I told everyone," she said.

"Was that before or after you slapped him?" Harry asked, trying to hide a smile. Hermione's eyes grew in surprise.

"What makes you think-"

"The left side of his face was completely red, Hermione," Harry said, no longer able to control the laughter that came as he spoke. "You are the _only_ one who would hit him after receiving news that he once again screwed up your chances of going to a ball with him."

Ginny would have laughed if a very foreboding thought had not popped into her mind.

"Hermione… does Dumbledore expect the Slytherins to ask Gryffindors and vice versa?"

Hermione turned to her, a knowing look in her eyes. She shook her head.

"No… Snape said that we would get no where that way. Dumbledore is going to do it randomly," she whispered, glancing around. "On Monday we're each going to get a card on our plates with the name of the person we're going to go with."

"Randomly? That should be interesting…" Harry muttered.

* * *

Draco entered the Potions office and sat down gracefully into the chair in front of the Potions Master's desk. Snape didn't look at him for a while as he wrote a letter. Draco glanced at his watch impatiently.

"Do you have somewhere else to be, Draco?" Severus asked coolly as he continued to write. Draco watched him for a moment then shrugged.

"No," he answered curtly. Severus finally looked up at the Head boy and watched him carefully before pointing a door leading off to a separate room.

"Does she know about her?"

"Does who know about whom?"

"Don't pull crap with me, Draco," Severus growled tersely. "You know _exactly_ who I'm talking about."

Draco remained silent for a while before answering.

"I sent her a letter," he replied quietly.

Severus watched Draco for a while, aware of the subtle changes that had taken over Draco ever since this whole situation had been brought to his attention. Though still extremely aggressive, the young man had not been seen with the usual gaggle girls nor had he been interested in getting into fights with Potter and his followers as he used to.

"You trust her?"

Draco met Severus' eyes.

"You trust them," he responded carefully, not wishing to give away too much. Severus just stared at him.

"You know what would happen if your father found out about her," he whispered.

"I am well aware of what Lucius is capable of," Draco growled, the thought of what his father would do to Ginny boiling his blood. Severus noticed this revealing reaction and decided to switch the subject, knowing that Draco had no intention of delving into the present topic.

"Any new information on Blaise Zabini?" he asked carefully.

Draco rolled his eyes.

"Warrington's just pissed because Lucius found out about Dervus before he did," he snapped. "But he's not a complete idiot. He knows better than to kill Zabini. He'll get himself killed."

"I warned you to stay out of trouble, Draco. That little stunt with Crabbe nearly cost Dumbledore," Severus growled.

"He hurt Rayne, Severus," Draco replied. Severus sat back in his chair.

"That's not what Valance told me. He said Crabbe insulted the little Weasley and you blew up," he said calmly, watching Draco carefully.

Draco wasn't surprised by the comment. He knew that the four he trusted most were keeping Snape up to date on Draco's escapades.

"Valance can go to hell," he responded.

Severus smirked and stood up.

"In the next few weeks I need you to stay out of trouble, Draco. That girl in there is just as much in danger as you are," he said.

Draco glanced at the door before straightening in his seat.

"Warrington's taking orders from Lucius."

Severus eyes went to Draco.

"Let Dumbledore and the Ministry deal with Lucius. And as long as Warrington knows that Lucius doesn't want you harmed yet, that boy won't touch you. _You_ need to concentrate on nothing else but your school work."

Draco cocked an eyebrow.

"No scathing comments about my choice in company?"

Severus froze for a moment before returning to his desk and going back to the letter he had been writing before.

"Don't get caught," he murmured, dipping his quill into some ink and jotting down a few words. Draco stood, knowing that the conversation was over. He left quietly and walked out of the dungeons, his mind going over the meeting.

_You know what your father would do if he found out about her…_

Draco's fist curled and he took a deep breath to calm himself down. Never in his life had he been so protective of something other than himself… now he had two little redheads that had infiltrated into his very being and would not give him a moments rest.

He glanced down at his watch and picked up the pace, suddenly feeling extremely famished.

* * *

Ginny sat with the others during dinner, smiling with Harry as Hermione and Ron bickered over the Halloween Ball.

"You're impossible, Ron," Hermione snapped, returning to her food with a huff. Ron sighed and began poking at his food. Ginny just smiled and ate her pasta happily.

"This is for you, Ginny."

They looked up to see a small third year standing right behind Ginny, holding out a letter. Ginny took it with a smile and looked at it.

"Who's it from?" Ron asked, craning his neck to get a better look. Ginny shook her head.

"It doesn't say," she muttered.

"This one's for Ron," the girl added, leaning over the table to hand the second letter in her hand to the elder Weasley. Ron paled upon seeing the fierce scrawl of his mother.

"Shit," he muttered.

"Ron!" Hermione scolded, leaning in to see who it was from. "Well, it serves you right. If you hadn't of gotten into that fight she wouldn't have to send you that letter and _we_ would be going to the Halloween ball together."

There was a brief silence in which everyone stared at Hermione with a mix of shock and apprehension before Neville, who was sitting on the other side of her, changed to subject completely.

"Do you think they'll let us leave for Christmas?" he asked.

Harry glanced at Ron.

"It'd be nice to be at the Burrow for Christmas," he whispered.

Ron was looking over the letter he had received with dread.

"Not bloody likely," he mumbled.

Ginny rolled her eyes and opened her letter.

_My little Weasel,_ Ginny read silently and couldn't help but glance over at the Slytherin table. Draco must have noticed her getting the letter because he was watching her when she looked over. She rolled her eyes at him and offered a small smile before going back to her letter.

_By now, I'm sure you're well rested from last night and waiting for Monday morning to come so you can find out who your lovely Slytherin partner for the Ball is going to be. Hopefully it's not me. _

_Anyway, I believe that it is necessary for me to explain a few things to you about Rayne. She is not in any sense related to me, thank goodness. She looks too much like your lot to have any relation to me. _

Here Ginny rolled her eyes again and sighed. Even in writing, Draco Malfoy could not help but be insulting.

_I found her a couple of weeks after the school year had ended last year. Rockwell and I were on a trip in Wales, visiting a few old friends._

Ginny bit her lip and frowned. She remembered that a couple of weeks after summer had started, a few Death Eaters who had not gone to Azkaban had been found either dead or seriously injured, with no trace or memory of what had happened.

_We arrived for our visit in a Muggle town and found that we were a little late for the appointment. Two Muggle families were already dispatched and a third was being worked on when we arrived. Rayne was the only survivor. She's a Trevorton._

Ginny felt her blood freeze at that moment, her mind going back to the War. The Trevortons had been a family of muggles who had aided the Order in information on Death Eater activities in the Muggle world. Lucius Malfoy had been ordered to kill them, but had failed.

_Unfortunately for her, she not only happens to be the only one left. She happens to be a witch._

_Now that I have explained her importance to myself as well as to Lucius, I don't want the subject brought up. You may see her, though. My password has been changed to _Armageddon.

_How appropriate_, Ginny thought.

_Come unnoticed. _

_The Slytherin Prince_.

Ginny smiled at the last bit and folded the letter, tucking it safely into her robe pocket before returning to her food. She could feel cold grey eyes watching her, but she chose not to look up. She had revealed a lot to him last night and he had returned the favor. There was no reason for her to acknowledge the fact. He knew it already.

**A/N: I finally decided that you all deserved to know more about Rayne. R/R!**


	12. The Good News and the Bad News

_Nobody likes the bringer of __bad news_. -**Sophocles**

* * *

The weekend was over, and though Ginny had wanted to go find Draco, she had refrained from it for Hermione's sake. Instead, she spent her Sunday in the library, finishing a Potions and Transfiguration paper. Hermione, who had spent her time in the library as well, had made it her mission to make Ron as miserable as possible before Monday breakfast. She did that by either ignoring him completely or making him feel bad about the fight by pouring salt over the 'you botched this up so badly that we're not going to the Halloween ball' wound. Harry, who was enjoying the whole thing, just sat in the Gryffindor common room playing chess or exploding Snap with Neville or Seamus.

"Post!" Neville called out as the owls poured in through one of the windows. A couple of them crashed into the tables, causing some students to duck as goblets and tarts went flying everywhere. Pig, Ron's owl, flew straight into Lavender Brown's plate of food and got eggs all over itself, causing many of the boys to laugh while Lavender scowled at the little thing and flung it in Ron's direction. The poor excited creature handed Ron his second letter from his mother and, after nicking a piece of apple from Hermione's fingers, flew off. This earned Ron a scowl from her before he turned to his letter.

"Oh no," Seamus groaned from beside Ginny. She looked over at him and saw that he was looking at the spot in front of him on the table. That's when she noticed the small card resting beside his goblet. She looked at her own goblet and noticed an identical looking card.

"Oh," she muttered before looking up at Hermione, who was glaring at hers. Ron looked sick and Harry looked like was going to throw himself out one of the windows. Ginny looked over at the Slytherin table, where the students were wearing similar expressions, except for Draco, who seemed to be enjoying the whole thing. He was actually looking in her direction, though not at her.

"Oy! Weasel King!" he called out from across the large Hall. Many looked in his direction, including the upset redhead.

"What?" Ron snapped.

Draco held up his card and waved it in the air.

"Tell your sister that Medusa's the best bet! Make things hard, if you get my drift!"

Ginny's eyes grew and Hermione nearly choked on her food. Ron looked incensed.

"WHAT?!" he yelped, looking at Ginny. He reached out and grabbed her card. He stared at if for what seemed like for ever before he grew impossibly paler. "Oh shit."

"She has Malfoy?" Harry asked in disbelief.

Ron nodded pitifully, handing the card to Harry, who looked over it for a moment before looking at Ginny.

"Oh…" was all that came out of his mouth.

Ginny snatched the card and looked at it as well, reading over and over the name of the boy who was currently taunting her brother.

"It'll be fun, Weasel! First we'll dance a little, and then we'll see if I can stick one of those snakes up her-"

"SHUT UP, MALFOY!" Ron roared.

Draco smirked, winked at Ginny and sat back down, perfectly satisfied with himself. Ginny ignored the gesture as she looked over at Hermione.

"Who do you have?"

Hermione grabbed her card ruefully and stared at it for a moment before setting it back down carefully.

"Gregory Goyle," she muttered in a barely controlled tone. Ron grabbed the card and glanced at it before letting out a snort of laughter, earning him a chilling look from Hermione. He held up his hands.

"I feel sorry for him," he said. "Bloody prick can't handle you."

"Handle me?"

Ron smiled.

"It's like putting a monkey in a cage with a human."

Hermione rolled her eyes and turned to her food.

"Some would say the same about you," she muttered under her breath so that only Ginny could hear. Ginny smiled and looked at her brother.

"How about you?"

Ron glanced at Hermione before picking up his card. He flinched instantly.

"Pansy Parkinson."

Hermione's head shot up immediately and she seized the card. Her eyes went over it quickly before she turned to scan the Slytherin table. Her narrowed eyes settled on the black haired vixen, who didn't look to happy at this particular moment. She then turned back to Ron, handed him back his card and turned back to her food, muttering to herself about several different dismemberment hexes she knew off the top of her head. Ron inched away from her, a concerned look on his face.

"I have Millicent Bulstrode," Harry muttered and Ron burst out into laughter, but was silenced a second later by Hermione, who shot him another cold look. He shot an amused look over at Harry before returning to his food.

Ginny, after finishing her breakfast, hitched up her bag and stood up. Hermione glanced up at her.

"You're leaving?"

Ginny looked over at the Slytherin table before looking at her.

"I'd rather not run into… _Malfoy_," she muttered. Ron looked up.

"Bad luck with that one," he remarked through his eggs. Ginny sighed.

"Well, just don't punch him," she said.

Ron raised an eyebrow.

"Why the bloody hell not?"

Ginny rolled her eyes.

"Because, as much as I despise the idea, I would like to go to the Halloween Ball with someone who at least doesn't look like he just got the crap beaten out of him," she said with a sniff and a smirk. "It wouldn't match my dress."

Hermione broke out into a smile and waved as Ginny left. Harry rolled his eyes.

"It could be worse, Ron," he said.

"Oh yeah. How?"

Harry smiled.

"Hermione could be going with Malfoy," he replied.

A scowl instantly fell on Ron's freckled face and Hermione frowned.

"That would be horrible," she murmured.

Harry nodded.

"For Malfoy," he said. "You'd probably punch him just for looking at you."

Hermione rolled her eyes.

"I would not punch Malfoy because he looked at me… I would punch him for touching me," she muttered before turning to her food indignantly. Ron caught Harry's smile and tried to hide his own as they finished their breakfast.

* * *

McGonagall looked up from grading some papers to see Severus Snape standing at her office door.

"Severus?"

He entered and sat down, glancing around silently. When he didn't speak immediately, McGonagall frowned.

"What is it?"

Snape turned to her.

"I just got back from speaking with Albus," he said quietly.

"And?"

"He believes that the Halloween Ball should be held in Hogsmeade."

McGonagall's eyes widened.

"Hogsmeade? Is he serious?" When Snape nodded she leaned back in her chair, stunned. "But the Ministry would not allow it, surely. They still believe that there's a threat in the Forest," she said.

Snape shook his head.

"Albus managed to convince the Ministry that if they did not allow the students a chance to get outdoors, then there would eventually be anarchy. This is a way to ease the tensions in the students," he replied coolly. McGonagall could tell that he didn't believe a word of it.

"And why did you come to me with this information? Albus would have told me eventually."

Snape folded his hands in front of him and leaned in.

"Lucius Malfoy is planning something that night. I have sources that say it will put into question the security here," he said quietly.

McGonagall frowned.

"What are you saying Severus?"

Snape stood up and started for the door.

"I'm saying that on the day of the Halloween Ball, the teachers had better be ready, Minerva," he said quickly before leaving the room. McGonagall sat there for a moment, digesting what he had just said before she got up and left her office, her heart pounding with a sudden fear. She needed to speak to Dumbledore.

* * *

Draco was disturbed from his sleep to hear the tapping of an owl at his small window. Opening one eye he saw his huge black owl glaring at him through the pane and he stood up from his sofa. Letting the bird in, he took the black letter from the thing's beak.

"A letter from mother," he muttered, opening it and glancing over the contents before tossing the letter onto his desk and lying back down on his sofa. "Bitch."

"I hope you're not talking about me."

Draco felt his heart sink at the sound of Pansy Parkinson.

"Well, you and my mother seem to have a lot in common nowadays," he muttered, opening his eyes lazily to peer over at his bedroom door where the tall black haired Slytherin stood, dressed rather inappropriately for a school day. "You don't dress like her though."

Pansy smirked and waltzed over to him, standing over him with an air of seduction dripping from the overwhelming stench of expensive perfume. Her hair was done up in a tight bun while the skimpy navy nightie she was wearing clung to her body in all the right ways.

"Hello, Draco," she whispered, climbing onto the couch so that she was straddling him.

"Pansy," Draco responded, trying to ignore the fact that her hips were grinding into his tantalizingly. He closed his eyes and tried to think of anything other than her plastic face and even more fake breasts that were now in his face. Unfortunately, or fortunately, the only images that flooded his mind were of a beautiful little redhead he had not seen much of since Saturday. It had been too long.

He felt her lips on his, trying to force his mouth open with her tongue. He responded to her liking and soon he found himself with no shirt.

_She's gotten quicker_, he thought grimly as he placed his hands on her hips. He didn't know why he was kissing her. She was the last person he wanted to be with at the moment. Yet all of a sudden, he felt this overwhelming need to be with someone. He didn't care who… or maybe he did…

This sudden frustration caused him to growl and bite down quickly, causing Pansy to pull away, touching her lip gingerly to see red on her fingertips. She smiled wickedly.

"Getting impatient are we?" she whispered, leaning in again to capture his lips in a quick kiss before her hands traveled to his pants. "Let's get more comfortable." They both sat upright, their mouths never breaking for a moment as she pulled off his shoes and socks, then unbuttoned his pants and, after pushing him back down again, pulled them off, leaving him sitting there in his boxers. Her eyes widened and a smile played devilishly across her lips. "My, my... impressive."

Before she could protest, Draco had flipped her over so that she lay beneath him and he hovered above her. He was about to kiss her when he saw a sudden flash as a memory sped through his mind…

_Ginny was gasping for breath. Draco was touching and caressing places on her body that even she didn't know existed. His hands and lips roaming every inch of her. _

"_Oh God…"_

_Draco's hands were under her skirt and were toying with her knickers. His mouth was planting kisses all along her neck, down her throat and down the bone between her breasts._

"Oh bloody hell," Draco growled in frustration, pulling her closer. Was he seriously thinking about another girl? Ginny Weasley?

Pansy only took this as a signal to speed up the foreplay. She looked down at him impishly, her fingers playing with the band of his boxers.

"Let's see if we can get this snake out of his cage," she growled, kissing him fiercely again.

_He reached out to touch her face and she closed her eyes, afraid of what he might do. She felt him lean down on her, his hot breath teasing her skin. _

"_Please… I can't," she whispered pleadingly. Draco closed his eyes at the sound of her shaky voice and took a deep breath. He tried not to think about the fact that she was indeed lying half naked in his bed, trembling in fear beneath him. He tried not to think about how he was so close to satisfaction… _

"_Damn it, Weasley," he growled darkly into her ear before he got up and left the room quickly, leaving her lying there._

"Shit!"

He shoved Pansy off of him and stood up, pacing the floor like a caged beast.

"Draco-"

"Get out," he muttered as he continued to pace. She didn't argue. She remembered the last time. She quickly left the room, slamming the door behind her. Draco came to a halt, staring at Judas, who was still glaring at him. "Oh shit."

If he was snogging Pansy Parkinson and could only think of another, he knew what that meant…

"Shit," he growled again.

He was in love with Ginny freaking Weasley…

* * *

"Shit."

_This time she was underground. She didn't know how she knew she was underground… she just knew…_

_She walked down a cold, barren corridor that led no where. She kept walking, barefoot and wearing nothing but a tank top and shorts. She would look behind her occasionally, certain that she was being followed but also certain that it was impossible. There was no way to conceal yourself in the hallway she was in. There were no crevices, indents, doors or any adjacent corridors. It was just this long, straight corridor the led no where, yet she knew she had to keep going. _

_Why was it so cold?_

_It was as if someone was slowly pouring ice water over her skin._

_She glanced behind her again, sure that she had seen something move behind her. She stopped for a moment and turned to see if she could pinpoint the movement. But nothing happened. It was completely still… silent… _

"_Where are you?"_

_Ginny whirled around, eyes wide with fright. There was no origin of the voice. Just the resounding echo that shook her, yet everything else remained in peace. _

"_Who said that?" she demanded. _

"_Where are you?"_

"_Who's there?" Ginny asked. _

"_Where are you?"_

_Ginny bit her lip and continued her journey down the everlasting corridor, noticing that it was getting narrower as she tread. _

"_Ow!" she gasped, hopping on one foot as she clutched the other in pain. She had stepped on a sharp rock and her foot was now bleeding pretty badly. She leaned against the cold, stone walls and held up her foot as she tried to inspect the wound. _

"_That looks bad."_

"_Damn it," Ginny swore, stepping on another sharp rock as she turned to see Draco standing there, wearing black jeans, a black shirt and black boots. How appropriate._

_He raised an eyebrow and glanced down at her feet. In the process, his eyes took in her pale, yet beautiful legs that shone out in contrast to the dreary stone walls and floor. _

"_Interesting choice in dress," he commented. _

"_Go to hell," she muttered, placing her foot gingerly back on the ground. _

"_I don't think I've ever seen you this worked up before," he said. _

"_It hurts," she snapped, looking up at him. "Why'd you have to scare me?"_

_Draco shrugged glancing behind him. _

"_You seemed a bit flustered already, walking down this corridor by your lonesome."_

"_That was you who was following me?"_

_Draco shook his head. _

"_I wasn't following you, Weasley," he said. "I just caught up with you when you cut yourself. Something's been following the both of us."_

_Ginny frowned. _

"_Do you know where we are?"_

_Draco looked around and shook his head. _

"_Any hideout looks like this. There's no special characteristic to identify where we are, Weasley."_

"_But you know it's a Death Eater hideout."_

_Draco wrinkled his nose. _

"_Unfortunately, yes. Even with all the money we have, we never really did have the decency to get a proper hideout. Always these elaborate labyrinths underground with alcoves, stadiums and unsophisticated torture chambers," he said with a sniff. _

_Ginny snorted. _

"_Oh yes, because the high quality torture chambers are _much_ more sophisticated," she muttered. Draco sighed and helped her along, pointing out various sharp rocks that suddenly littered the once smooth stone floor. _

"_It's not about what the chambers have in them that make them sophisticated. It's all about how you use them," he said under his breath. When Ginny let out another gasp of pain, he rolled his eyes and grabbed her. "Oh bloody hell, come here," he growled, picking her up so that he was carrying her in his arms as he walked through the jagged rocks. She smiled and placed her arms around his neck, kissing him on the cheek. _

"_My knight in shining armor," she squealed mockingly and he pulled a disgusted look. _

"_Say that one more time and I'll dump your sorry arse," he grumbled._

_It became harder for him to walk when the walls closed even farther in on them. They were silent for a while until the events of the afternoon came back to Draco. He glanced down at Ginny in his arms._

"_So," he muttered. "The Halloween Ball."_

_Ginny smirked. _

"_You know, for a boy who supposedly has everything figured out, you're not a very good conversation starter," she commented. "If I were you, I'd start off with something sarcastic to say, then-"_

"_Pansy came to see me," he snapped, shutting her up effectively. She stared at him for awhile, the meaning of that statement sinking into her. _

"_What?" she asked, looking away to hide the slight pain that was starting to fill her. _

"_Pansy came to see me," he repeated. _

"_Did you sleep with her?"_

"_No."_

"_Why?"_

_He stopped walking and stared at her. _

_Did she actually want to know, or was she just asking so he wouldn't turn the conversation over to her obvious lip biting and red cheeks?_

"_Because she's boring," he replied casually, causing her to look up at him with wide eyes. _

"_What?"_

_He shrugged. _

"_Pansy's boring. Predictable as well. You're much more… pleasurable company," he said, choosing his words carefully. _

"_You've never slept with me," Ginny whispered, her eyes running over his face, searching for some sort of tell… _

_His unsettled grey eyes met hers._

"_That's the point," he said before returning his attention to the corridor ahead of him. They remained silent after that. Eventually, he had to let her walk on her own and endure her sudden intakes of air every time she stepped on a rock. _

"_Where are we going?" Ginny asked. _

"_Where are you?"_

"_What do you mean, 'where are you', I'm right here," Ginny said, glancing behind her. _

"_I didn't say anything, Weasley," Draco told her, stepping through a large pile of stones. _

"_Where are you?"_

"_Then who did?" Ginny asked. Draco gave her a funny look._

"_Are you hearing things?" he asked, his eyes going over her face carefully. Ginny shook her head. _

"_You have to hear it. It's the loudest thing-"_

"_I found you!"_

_Ginny's eyes widened and she pointed behind Draco. Draco turned around just in time to see three hooded figures appear out of no where. He shoved Ginny ahead of him. _

"_Run!" he growled, well aware that this time he had no wand. Ginny stumbled agonizingly over rocks in front of him as they squeezed through the extremely narrow corridor which was getting smaller with every passing moment. The three figures, however, had no problem getting by and were gaining on Draco and Ginny quickly. "Faster!" Draco shouted. _

"_I can't," Ginny cried, her legs bleeding badly as she began to be pressed in by the surrounding cold walls. Draco looked over her head and saw the way out. It was a small opening between the two walls. Small enough for perhaps a very large child or even…_

"_It's too small," Ginny gasped when she reached it. _

"_Not for you," Draco muttered, pushing her towards it. She whirled around. _

"_What?"_

"_Go Weasley," he growled, pushing her even more along the almost nonexistent corridor. He couldn't go any further without hurting himself badly. Ginny shook her head. _

"_I don't think so, Draco. I'm not leaving you, so that you can-"_

_He cut her off with a quick, heated kiss before he managed to shove her roughly through the small opening. He felt her reach back in and grab his hand, but before he could give it a squeeze, he felt himself being yanked back. Then it all went dark._

**A/N: This might be it for a few weeks. There's a lot of stuff going on here and my internet will be down for a while. But don't worry. When I come back, I will update with a toooooon of stuff! PROMISE!**

**purplegabby123:** Thanks.

**hpfreaklol:** Glad you liked it.

**Skepo:** It had occurred to me when I first wrote her that she could be seen as some sort of relation to Ginny _and_ Draco, but then I was like... no... that would just be too weird. So I came up with that one night.

**11111111111:** I hope you'll enjoy the next chapter.

**sunshine:** Thanks for reviewing

**jjp91:** No of course not! She's taking the predictable root and going with her dear old Slytherin.

**nextbestthing:** You know me _too_ well.

**tamara72:** Not the _best_ pairings, but it'll do.

**On to the next chapter, which I know you will all love! **


	13. A Bit of Explanation

_Man consists of two parts, his mind and his body, only the body has more fun_. **-****Woody Allen**

* * *

Two weeks had passed by quickly and now it was the Friday day before the Halloween Ball. Though the Gryffindors and Slytherins were still not happy with the situation, they were avoiding fights as much as possible so that Dumbledore didn't come up with any other bright ideas. He did suggest that no classes be held on the Friday, so that the students could relax.

Hermione, who had forgiven Ron after a week of irritable silence, had suggested to Ginny that she use the Prefect bathroom to calm herself.

"It's the best place to think," Harry added with a smirk. Ron smiled.

"She'll need all the concentration she can get come tomorrow," he said, causing Ginny to shoot him a scowl before she took off for the famed bathroom.

It didn't take long for her to realize why so many loved to come to the Prefect bathroom. The warmth of the water and the alluring scent of the liquids that formed bubbles around her allowed her to relax a little and think through everything that had happened in the past two weeks.

Though she had not had the opportunity to see Draco at all, she had been able to spend some time with Rayne, with Rockwell's supervision. Ginny found herself growing attached to the small child.

Sighing, she leaned her head against the cold marble stone and tried to relax. Almost immediately, memories from over two weeks ago flooded her…

"_About last night-"_

_Draco placed a finger to her lips, silencing her. _

"_You're not the first girl to freak out, Weasley."_

_Ginny stared at him, her heart beating madly. _

"_But you stopped…" she pointed out. His eyes clouded over for a moment before he reached up and touched her face. _

"_There's a first time for everything…"_

Those were the words that had been her constant company since that night along with the dream she had had that Monday and were still bugging her as she felt the warm bubbles caress her neck and ears as she lay in the water, trying to think about what he might have meant by that.

She spent an hour contemplating those words before she finally got out. She was just clipping up her bra when someone startled her.

"Are you allowed to be in here?"

Ginny squeaked in surprise and whirled around to see Draco standing by the entrance, looking down at her with amusement. She felt the blood rush to her face and she grabbed an extra towel that was lying beside her clothes.

"What are you doing here?" she asked. He watched her for a minute then looked around with a dignified posture.

"You didn't answer my question, Weasley," he said stiffly.

She frowned.

"You didn't answer mine," she whispered. Instead of answering her, he unclasped his black robes and let them fall to his feet. Her eyes widened.

"What are you doing?"

He kept his eyes on her as he unbuttoned his shirt and kicked off his shoes.

"I'm going to take a bath, if you don't mind," he said, unzipping his trousers and pushing them off. Ginny couldn't help but stare at him as he stood there in nothing but his black boxers and socks. She took in his chiseled abs and pale skin, biting her lip as she tried to think through this whole thing clearly.

"Then, I think you should wait until I'm gone," she muttered, taking a hesitant step away from him.

Draco smirked and walked over to her, standing right in front of her. He reached up and pushed her wet hair out of her eyes before taking a firm hold of the side of her face.

"Now why would I want to do that?"

Ginny placed a hand on his chest to stop him.

"Draco, I think you should go," she whispered, gazing into his mesmerizing grey eyes. He took the hand she had on his stomach and ran it over his chest until he paused at his shoulder, watching her as her breathing quickened and eyes widened. "Draco…" she whispered. Draco ignored her and kissed her, moving his other arm around her waist so that she was up against him. They stood there for a moment, embracing each other tightly before Ginny pulled away, trying to think clearly.

"I… I think…" she tried.

Draco reached up and fiddled with a piece of her wet hair.

"You think what?" he asked.

She fixed him with a look.

"I think that you are _completely_ insufferable," she snapped. Draco smirked before leaning in and capturing her lips in a fiery kiss. Ginny squealed into his mouth when his hands moved down to her rear, holding her up to his level so that she was forced to wrap her legs around his waist. He pulled away slightly as he moved back into the large bath.

"Are you okay?" he asked, amusement teasing his lips. Ginny reached out and touched his face carefully, her fingertips grazing across his lips. He kissed her fingers as they caressed him, watching her as she watched him.

"Draco…" she whispered. "Don't let me do anything I can't handle…"

Draco stared at her for a moment before he finally nodded mutely, leaning in again and kissing her softly. He pulled her closer, deepening the kiss a little. He could feel the warm scented water surround them and just wanted the chance to enjoy it without any interruptions. He dipped his head down to her slender neck, nipping at her skin playfully and loving the sounds that escaped her lips.

"Draco," she whispered as she struggled to breathe. "What if someone comes?"

He ran one hand down her thigh while pulling her impossibly closer. His hands moved up to her knickers and she shoved it away quickly, fixing him with a look.

"Then I'll kill them," he mumbled, kissing her. Ginny pulled away quickly, fixing him with a horrified look. He rolled his eyes, trailing kisses down her jaw bone. "Fine… I'll just obliviate them. How's that?"

Ginny smiled, running her hands through his wet hair.

"Better."

Draco pulled away for a moment.

"Good, now shut up."

* * *

They had spent almost four hours in the Prefect bathroom and they showed no sign of leaving any time soon. Draco, who found that he was actually enjoying Ginny's company a lot more, had been the one to convince her to stay longer. Of course, that had been after she made him promise not to touch her in any area of her body in which she would be forced to slap him.

Ginny was glad that she stayed. They had done much more than just snog each other senseless. They had discussed the Halloween Ball, the Golden Trio and even, to a certain extent, the War.

Now, they were just hanging around. Draco was sitting on a ledge in the water while Ginny was straddling him as they whispered softly to each other. Occasionally, Ginny would plant a kiss on Draco's nose, much to his disgust, and then start to giggle when he made rather rude comment.

"But seriously, Draco… which one do you hate the most? Harry, Hermione or my brother?" Ginny asked. Draco leaned in and kissed her neck quickly.

"I hate them equally," he grumbled. "Tossers."

Ginny smiled.

"I highly doubt that," she whispered. "I mean… Harry's-"

"A saintly prat," Draco offered happily, smirking when she shot him a disapproving look while trying to hide a smile.

"_No_," she said. "He's _everything_ you are not."

"A prick?" Draco asked with a raised brow. Ginny chuckled while shaking her head, spraying him with a little with water.

"_Wrong_," she told him. "Let me make this simpler for you. He's your opposite. This means you're the prick."

Draco rolled his eyes.

"What is it about Potter that makes him _so_ much better than I am?"

Ginny couldn't help but kiss him.

"He's civil," she whispered, kissing Draco each time she listed an aspect of Harry. "Famous, in a good way… Respected… Loved, but not feared by _most_ of the wizarding community… Kind… Amiable… Brave… Self-sacrificing… Loyal… Dependable…"

Draco sighed, pulling away from her seductive kisses.

"Enough," he said. "You're beginning to describe a house elf."

Ginny grinned.

"You would know, wouldn't you?"

Draco ignored the comment. Instead he leaned in and kissed her on the neck.

"And how would you describe me?" he asked quietly, holding her close to him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and tilted her head to the side.

"In one word or many, because I know one word that will sum you up pretty well."

Draco's lips twisted into a wry smile as he looked up at her.

"Many words you shifty little bint," he whispered, loving the way her eyes glinted with mischievousness. Ginny raised an eyebrow.

"If you're going to insult me-"

"If you don't continue, I'll find a better way to spend my time with you," he growled. Ginny grinned at him and kissed him softly on the lips.

"Well…" she mumbled onto his mouth. "You are manipulative, pratish, insufferable, uncivil, insulting, inconsiderate, sarcastic, ill mannered, conceited, insensitive, sexy, witty, unfriendly, egotistical, vindictive, intelligent, ruthless, emotionless-" When Draco realized that she actually had a whole list, he cut her off with a searing kiss that left Ginny breathless after he pulled away. She stared at him for a moment before leaning her head to the side in thought. "Did I mention that you are _completely_ insufferable?"

"Yes, yes you did."

"Okay, I just wanted to make sure you knew," she said casually. He raised an eyebrow.

"Did you say I was sexy?" he asked with a smirk.

Ginny rolled her eyes.

"I also said you were egotistical, but I don't hear you asking about that," she noted with a smile. He kissed her again quickly before pulling away again.

"I believe that you forgot to mention heroic in my list," he said. She raised an eyebrow.

"Heroic? The only time I've seen you sacrifice yourself for anyone is so that they end up suffering anyway," she replied.

"I shoved you through that opening in the wall when we were about to die," he pointed out. Ginny was silent for a while then she frowned.

"I thought you said something about those dreams not being real," she stated. He grinned and kissed her.

"I changed my mind," he muttered, deepening the kiss, but she pulled away, narrowing her eyes at him.

"Don't try to get off the topic."

"I'm not," he objected, leaving kisses down her neck and collarbone, his hands traveling to her inner thigh as he tried to get as close to her as possible. She groaned and pushed his head away, glaring at him.

"I believe I told you not to touch me in any sensitive area," she said and he smirked.

"Did you?"

"Prick," she whispered. He pulled her to him and soon they were snogging each other senseless. Ginny was the one to pull away again, gasping desperately for air.

"Okay… well… now that we've established why you would hate Harry," she whispered breathlessly into his lips as he tried to kiss her again. "What about Ron?"

"He's a Weasley."

"So am I," Ginny said.

Draco shrugged, running a hand down her back.

"Well, I hate the lot of you. Always breeding," he said.

"We do _not_ always breed."

"There are _at least_ twenty of you running around."

"Seven."

"You say tomayto, I say tomahto," he said, waving his hand to dismiss it. She rolled her eyes, flicking some water into his face.

"You hate my brother because your father told you that there were too many of us?" she asked, disbelief evident in her beautiful brown eyes.

He looked over her appraisingly.

"Amongst other things," he said with a smirk. Ginny hit him in the arm, but smiled nonetheless.

"One track mind," she muttered.

"Always," he replied, pulling her closer. He then commenced to hum a rather loud rendition of 'Weasley is Our King' as he kissed her neck. Ginny rolled her eyes.

"Remind me to add incorrigible to that list," she said. "That was a horrible thing to do."

Draco smirked.

"I actually thought it was quite funny."

"It backfired on you anyway."

Draco shrugged.

"It worked for a while."

"But we still won in the end," Ginny replied.

Draco rolled his eyes and leaned back against the marble walls of the bath so that he could have a better view of the luscious body he only had limited access to. Her creamy, freckled skin shone through the bubbly water and her matching knickers and bra only accentuated her curves. He shook himself mentally and tried to bring his body under control.

This girl was going to be the end of him.

"Go on," he said.

Ginny noticed the looks he was giving her and blushed.

"Well… I suppose you have a reason to dislike Hermione. She's smarter than you are."

"You're pushing it, Weasley," Draco growled. Ginny shrugged.

"She is and you know it," she whispered. Then she frowned. "How long are you going to keep calling me Weasley? I have a first name, just like you."

He shrugged. He had noticed that she had called him Draco a while ago while he still continued to call her by her surname. He knew very well why he was doing it, but what scared him a little was that she also seemed to have a good idea as to why as well.

"I know," he murmured. "But if I call you by your first name…"

"You'll be admitting to actually tolerating me," Ginny finished, winking at him. He stared at her for a moment before looking away.

"It's a bit more than toleration, but yes," he whispered quietly, leaving little doubt in her mind about his growing affection for her. However, rather than make him more uncomfortable about the situation, she decided to make light of it.

"The only reason I ask is because I feel like your talking to my brother rather than me," she said. It did the trick. Draco screwed up his face in revulsion as he leaned in so that their eyes were on the same level.

"I have no problem leaving you here," he whispered.

"But you won't," she replied with a knowing glint in her brown eyes.

"Smartass," he growled. Ginny grinned and kissed him lightly on the nose.

"Git," she muttered.

"Keep it up, Weasley. Just keep it up," he whispered, a hint of warning in his voice and she rolled her eyes. She decided to get back to the topic.

"Hermione did punch you in your third year," she reminded him. He scowled, his eyes looking into the past with disgust.

"Don't bring that up," he growled. "I'd prefer not to think about it."

Ginny pouted her lips mockingly.

"Ah… is poor little Draco ashamed of Hermione Granger punching him. I thought Malfoy's don't get ashamed."

"We don't, so don't bring it up," he growled, pulling her flush up against him. His arms encircled her slim waist and kissed her lips heatedly. Ginny ran a hand through his hair and down his neck where she stopped suddenly, frowning. She pulled away and stared at him.

"What?" he asked.

She ran her hand over the slightly raised scar on the back of his neck and leaned forward to see a long dark scar running down the side of his neck to the middle of his back. She was surprised she hadn't seen it earlier.

"Draco," she gasped. "What happened?"

Draco pushed her away a little so that she couldn't see the scar. He was silent for a moment before he spoke.

"The scar of Lucius's development program," he murmured somewhat sarcastically, but the dark look in his eyes told her more. Ginny's eyes widened in horror.

"Your father used you as a test subject?!" she exclaimed.

Draco shrugged.

"I was the only one home at the time," he responded. Ginny frowned at his casual tone.

"That's no reason-"

Draco placed a finger to her lips, silencing her.

"Let's get back to the Mudblood," he muttered.

Ginny looked ready to protest whole-heartedly, but after a very nasty look from yours truly, she bit her lip and remained silent for a moment before looking away and sighing.

"I guess the only real reason I know that you could really hate Hermione is that she happens to be a-"

"Mudblood?"

"_Muggleborn_," Ginny snapped, splashing water in his face. He shook the water out of his eyes and kissed her. She groaned into his mouth and pulled away, holding his face in her hands. "Can I continue?" she asked irritably. He cocked an eyebrow.

"You're not enjoying this?"

Ginny couldn't help but smile.

"Of course I am," she whispered, her lips a hairsbreadth from his. "But I…" He kissed her seductively. She pulled away and took a deep breath. "I don't…" He kissed her again. "I don't want to get too carried away…"

Draco grinned.

"Well, it's a bit late for that," he muttered before kissing her again. Things soon became heated as Draco's hands roamed over her body with an intensity that left Ginny breathless. He moved his lips down her jaw to her neck, kissing her pulsating veins as she moaned into his ear. Her hands fell to his shoulders, gripping them tightly as he pulled her close, his lips moving across her collarbone to her shoulders. He pushed her bra strap out of the way to have better access to her skin. Ginny's heart was racing madly and so many emotions were boiling up inside of her as he caressed her and held her close. She knew that if she didn't let it out now, she'd suffocate…

"Draco," she gasped, leaning her head back as his lips traveled lower. "Draco…"

"What?" Draco growled into her skin. Ginny couldn't think clearly and could hardly breathe… She let out a moan of frustration as everything suddenly hit her in one huge wave.

"I love you," she gasped.

There was a brief silence and then Ginny felt the immediate loss of him as Draco pulled away from her completely, not looking into her eyes. In that moment, Ginny had a terrible feeling she had done the wrong thing.

"We shouldn't be here anymore," Draco whispered, getting out of the bath quickly and grabbing his clothes, his wet boxers clinging to him. Ginny hurried after him and grabbed a towel, wrapping it around herself.

"Draco," she whispered. "Draco, please…"

He turned around and grabbed her by the throat. Not enough to hurt her, but just enough to let her know who was still in control of the situation. Finally he met her eyes as he pulled her up to him, their faces only a centimeter apart. She could see it in his eyes… the same emotion that had flooded her only moments earlier. But he would never admit it… not out loud anyway…

"Don't do this now," he growled and her eyes widened when it dawned on her what he was talking about. His eyes went over her with a longing he desperately craved, but also with confusion for what he didn't understand. He rested his head against her forehead and took a deep breath. How did arrive to this? "Don't do this now…"

She nodded, noting the hint of urgency in his voice.

"Okay," she whispered quietly. He looked over her face before leaning in and kissing her hard on the mouth. She gasped when he grabbed her fiercely by the hips and backed her up into a cold marble pillar, his lips moving against hers with a passion they both felt, but couldn't explain. Ginny could literally feel his hands shaking against her skin and knew that it was taking everything in his power not to tear away the little clothes that separated her from him. He forced his body against hers, desperate to get as much contact as possible as he held her close.

Draco could feel his mind slowly growing hazy as he continued to kiss her and after a moment of debate, he pulled away quickly. He then leaned into her ear, closing his eyes as he tried to think clearly. Her labored breathing mingled with his pounding heart left no doubt in his mind that he was in just as much trouble as she was…

Their bodies were still very close and the movements of her chest were doing things to him that he shouldn't be thinking about. Ginny flinched when he swore angrily, using extremely foul language to vent out his frustration.

"Draco-"

"Get dressed, Weasley," he snapped in irritation before disappearing into a changing room off the main bathing room, leaving Ginny standing there in her knickers, feeling completely mystified about the whole thing. She looked around the large room and walked across the marble floor to a small bench where her clothes lay.

She had just fixed her shirt and was about to grab her skirt when she heard a creak of the door.

"This is interesting."

Ginny whirled around and paled upon seeing Warrington standing there, looking at her appraisingly. She bit her lip and grabbed her robes, holding them over her body as she searched them for her wand.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, backing up a little when she saw him come closer. That's when she heard a clatter and her heart fell as her wand made contact with the marble floor. She had shaken it out of the pocket when she had searched her robes. Warrington smiled and flicked his wand. She watched with dread as her wand zoomed over into his hands. His own wand was fixed on her.

"You better not scream."

Ginny made a frantic dash for the door, but Warrington was too quick and had her up against the cold marble pillar before she knew what was going on. One of his hands was curled around her throat while the other rested on her hip, pulling her close to him.

"Let's see just how much you've grown up since last year," he growled. His lips descended on hers fiercely as his hands moved over her body greedily, groping her and pulling at her knickers. She could feel her eyes sting with tears as she resisted his touch with extreme disgust. Ginny shoved one of his hands away from her breast as she bit down hard on the tongue that had forced its way into her mouth. When he pulled away in pain, she managed to knee him and scramble across the wet floor towards the changing room, panic seizing her entire body.

Warrington lunged for her and both of them came crashing to the ground. Ginny kicked around to get away. She caught him in the face and he fell back for a moment. Rather than be angered by the pain, he just laughed as he tasted the blood on his lip.

"So this is how it's going to be, is it?" he asked, diving for her again.

Ginny let out a cry of pain when a fist came flying out of no where and struck her glaringly in the head, blinding her for a moment and stunning her effectively. Her hands then reached out and tried to claw his face as he forced himself on her, ripping open her shirt violently. He punched her a few more times, drawing blood after the second time when his family ring made contact with her jaw and eye. Ginny's ears were ringing painfully and she felt blood run down her face as he began to pull at her bra and knickers.

By now, she was willing herself to pass out. She didn't want to be conscious for what Warrington had in store.

Ginny didn't even notice when Warrington was no longer on top of her. She did, however, notice the agonized screaming and the flash of light before the noise ceased. Out of the corner of her eye she could see someone kneel down beside her. She let out a loud whimper when that person reached out for her and she tried to crawl away, but the person grabbed her before she fell into the water.

"It's okay, Weasley," whispered the unfamiliarly alarmed voice of Draco as he pulled her to him. For some reason, he could feel himself freaking out as she stared up at him in unspoken terror. He wanted to take away her fear. "It's okay."

But it wasn't…

The panic that had been coursing through her body still had a death grip on her and she instantly began fighting against him, screaming at the top of her lungs. Draco tried to hold her down, knowing that if he let her go, she would cause more damage to herself than to him. He had seen women like this before.

"Weasley, calm down," he growled, straddling her so that he could effectively hold down both her arms and legs as she continued to flail about wildly, shrieking for him to let her go.

"HELP!" she screamed, still not realizing who it was who had her pinned. "SOMEONE HELP ME!"

Draco reached for his wand, knowing that the only thing to keep her quiet was to knock her out. Unfortunately before he could do so, the bathroom door flew open, the lock blasted from its place. Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley came rushing in, eyes wide when they saw Draco. Even worse, they caught him right when he was pointing his wand at her… and she was still struggling…

"YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Ron screamed and before Draco knew what was happening, he was in the water again, fists flying at him from a raging Weasley. Hermione ran over to Ginny's side, pulling her up.

"Ginny! Oh no, what happened?" she cried, gazing upon Ginny's bleeding face. The redheaded girl let out a sob before turning to see her brother thrashing Draco to a pulp in the bath. Suddenly it all came crashing down upon her and she pulled away from Hermione, eyes wide with horror.

"RON, STOP IT! RON, PLEASE!" she screamed pleadingly. "RON, HE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING! RON! STOP!"

Ron wasn't listening, and Draco, completely unprepared for the extent of Ron's rampage, was starting to black out under the punches as he struggled to remain above the water.

Ginny grabbed Hermione by the shoulder.

"You have to stop him! Draco didn't do anything! He saved me! Hermione, please! He saved me!" she shouted, pointing over at Warrington's limp body. Hermione was surprised by how desperate Ginny looked, but nodded none the less.

"RON! RON, STOP!" she screamed, her eyes glancing from the two in the bath to Warrington.

Blood began to stain the sudsy water as Ron continued to pound Draco senseless.

"I'LL KILL YOU FOR TOUCHING HER!" Ron raged, bringing his fists down repeatedly upon Draco's bloody head. Tears were streaming down Ginny's face as she shook Hermione.

"He's going to kill him!" she cried. "Stop him! Draco didn't hurt me!"

Hermione whipped out her wand and flicked it sharply down at the two boys. Ron went flying out of the water and hit the ground with a cry of pain while Draco disappeared under the water. Ginny's eyes went wide and she dove into the bath.

"Draco!" she cried, pulling his unconscious bleeding form out of the water. Ron, who had recovered quickly from his fall, was about to bull his way over to Draco when Hermione stepped in front of him.

"Ron, don't!" she yelled, placing both hands on his chest to stop him.

"Why the _bloody hell _not?!" he demanded furiously, glaring daggers at Draco, who was being dragged out of the bath by his sister.

"Because he didn't do anything!" she screamed, pointing at Warrington's limp form in the corner. "I'm sure _he_ has something to do with this!"

"You don't know that!" Ron snarled, trying to push his way past her.

"He's not breathing!" Ginny cried, shaking Draco's weak body. "He's not breathing!"

The two temporarily forgot their fight upon hearing the urgency in Ginny's voice. Hermione ran over to Draco's side and listened to his chest. She glanced over to Ron, who was just standing there, torn between concern and fury.

"We need to get him to the Hospital Wing immediately," she said quickly. She pointed to Warrington. "Him as well."

Ron finally nodded and pulled out his wand.

"_Levicorpus_," he muttered and both bodies lifted into the air. Hermione pulled off her robes and wrapped them around Ginny tightly.

"Come on," she said. "Before anyone else comes to investigate."

* * *

Ginny sat in the small white bed beside Draco's, staring at him with unshed tears in her eyes. Madame Pomfrey was fussing over her, dabbing some foul smelling potion to the cuts on Ginny's pale face. Ginny glanced over at a bed a few rows down to where Cole Warrington lay, oblivious to the world around him.

_I hope he stays that way_, she thought grimly as she returned to Draco's still form. Behind her, she could hear the heated whispers of her brother and Hermione as her friend tried to explain things to her extremely pissed, extremely confused brother. Not a great combination.

"Ron, you need to understand. Your sister isn't a child anymore," Hermione hissed quietly, glancing over to where the object of their conversation sat. Ron rolled his eyes.

"What the hell does that have to do with this? He's Draco freaking Malfoy!"

"He didn't hurt her, Ron and you know it! He protected her and you beat the crap out of him! You should be ashamed of yourself!"

Ron let out an all-suffering cry of frustration.

"I told Ginny I was sorry! But in my defense, he looked like he was about to-"

"I know what it looked like, Ron, but that's not what it was," Hermione cut in quickly. She let out a sigh and pulled Ron closer to the Hospital Wing doors. "Ron… he protected her… doesn't that count for something?"

Ron looked torn between admitting that she was right and completely dismissing everything she had just said for Malfoy protecting his own arse to get to Ginny later. Hermione noticed his shoulders drop and knew that he knew she was right. He still looked disgusted.

"My sister… and Malfoy?"

Hermione glanced over at Ginny again before nodding.

"It's been going on for awhile, Ron," she whispered.

"You knew and you didn't tell me?"

He looked hurt.

Hermione bit her lip and touched his arm carefully.

"Ron… it wasn't my job to tell you… besides… you would have done the exact same thing!"

Ron sighed and looked over at his sister. Hermione could see him still trying to digest everything that he had just learned in the ten minutes that they had been there. She was actually surprised that Dumbledore had not arrived yet.

"I… I guess you're right," he whispered in defeat. He frowned. "I should go apologize to her again."

Hermione raised an eyebrow.

"You could try apologizing to Malfoy when he wakes up as well, seeing as you're probably going to get into a lot of trouble for this," she added.

Ron shot her a look before he walked over to Ginny.

"Ginny."

His sister looked up at her through teary eyes before looking back at Draco.

"The one time you stick up for me and you end up beating up the wrong guy," she whispered with a small smirk on her face. Ron, relieved that she didn't blame him completely for what had happened, sat down next to her, avoiding Madame Pomfrey's disapproving glares.

"You should be ashamed of yourself," the old witch hissed before retreating to her office for more potions.

Ron flinched at the words before turning to his sister. Before he could speak, she cut him off.

"Just for the record, no, we have not slept together," she muttered irritably.

A look of pure relief flooded Ron's face before he touched her arm.

"I'm sorry, Ginny… I just thought-"

"I know what you thought, Ron… I thought the exact same thing," she whispered.

"What?"

Ginny glanced over at him before turning her eyes back to Draco.

"I was still… _hysterical _when you two came in. I hadn't realized it was Draco until you were kicking his ass," she whispered.

"_Draco_?"

Ginny closed her eyes and touched the side of her head gingerly. Though only a few cuts remained, her head still pounded agonizingly.

"I would prefer not to explain myself to you at this particular point in time," she whispered.

Ron just watched her for a moment before looking at Draco.

"You like him?" he asked. He wasn't able to hide the disgust in his voice and Ginny couldn't help but smile at him.

"Yes… so please don't beat him up again," she said.

Ron shrugged.

"I don't know… that depends on what you two were doing in the Prefect bathroom in the first place."

"Ron!" Hermione hissed from her place behind them. The two Weasleys turned to see her standing by the door, glaring at him. "You are in no place to be asking such questions!"

"I agree with the Mudblood."

Ginny gasped and turned around to see Draco's eyes opening slowly. He let out a moan and touched his head gingerly. He looked around and his eyes landed on Ron.

"Oh _bloody hell_," he sneered in the typical Slytherin fashion. "Go screw yourself Weasley."

Before Ron could reply, Ginny cut in.

"Shut up, Draco," she hissed. "You're lucky he didn't kill you."

"I'll kill him if he doesn't get the hell away from me," Draco growled, glaring at Ron. Ron stood up and went over to stand beside Hermione, grumbling about ferrets. Ginny rolled her eyes and sat down on his bed, looking down at him with concern in her eyes.

"You saved me," she whispered.

Draco groaned and tried to sit up. Ginny tried to help him, but he waved her off with a hand and propped himself up after a moment of struggle. He leaned his head back against the pillow and sighed.

"Your brother's a tosser," he muttered. Ginny hit him in the arm, causing him to wince.

"You git! You're the one who can't go a moment without saying something mean," she said.

Draco raised an eyebrow.

"Why are you hitting me? I just saved you from a fate worse than death," he said.

"I could have handled it," she mumbled.

Draco raised a hand to her face and she winced slightly when he ran his hands over her cuts. "Your face begs to differ," he whispered.

* * *

Ron watched his sister and Malfoy interact with several conflicting emotions flooding him at once. He had never seen his sister look at anyone, even Harry, in the way she was looking at Malfoy now and he had never seen the Slytherin treat anyone with so much cautiousness than he had seen just now. His sister really did like the blonde headed menace and from the way Malfoy was staring at his sister, Ron could carefully say that Malfoy felt the same.

"Weird, isn't it?"

Ron glanced over at Hermione, who had been watching him for a while. He glanced back at his sister, who was still whispering softly with Malfoy.

"I… I just wish she'd told me," he whispered. He didn't know why he was so upset about her not telling him only that he was. Maybe it was because he believed that they had been closer since the War.

Hermione touched his arm.

"She would have… eventually…"

When Ron didn't respond, she looked up to see him staring at something with a weird look on his face. Hermione turned to see Draco and Ginny kissing each other. It's seemed almost unreal, with the way Draco was holding Ginny. Hermione turned back to Ron, who was still watching the two on the bed. Though he didn't look disgusted, he didn't necessarily look pleased. He just looked… passive. As if he was unsure of what to do.

"OY!" Ron suddenly barked and she turned back to see that the kiss his sister and Draco had been sharing had been getting a bit out of Ron's tolerance level. "We'll have none of that!"

Draco pulled away from Ginny just enough to snap out an irritable retort.

"Piss off, Weasel King!"

"Kiss her like that again and I'll beat the pompous prick right out of you!" Ron retorted angrily.

"Try it, Weasley and I'll shove that wand of yours right up your poor, deprived arse!"

"You come over here and _I'll_ shove that pole you have further _up_ yours!"

"Gee, Weasley. Did you come up with that one all on your own or did the Mudblood have to help you?"

"Son of a-"

Ginny rolled her eyes and stood up.

"Oh will both of you just shut it!" she snapped, annoyed by the pointless back and forth. "I already have a headache."

"Wanker," Ron muttered, loud enough for Ginny and Draco to hear. Before Draco could reply, the Hospital Wing doors opened and Dumbledore came walking in with McGonagall and Snape trailing after him. Ginny instantly distanced herself from Draco, whose face had suddenly become much more unreadable the moment Snape had appeared. Ron and Hermione hurried over to where the professors had stopped in front of Draco's bed.

"Would someone care to explain what is going on here?" McGonagall asked curtly, her eyes flashing over to Warrington's bed where the large boy lay, unconscious.

All eyes fell on Hermione, Ron, Ginny and Draco, but neither Draco nor Ron seemed eager to speak. Hermione nudged Ginny in the stomach, inclining her head towards Warrington's bed. Ginny paled slightly, but decided to be the one to tell the professors.

"Well… I was… I was taking a bath in the Prefect bathroom," she told them. She hesitated for a moment, her eyes flashing over to Draco, who was watching her carefully. "I… um… I was changing when Warrington came in."

Snape, who had seen the exchange between Draco and Ginny, interrupted her.

"When, may I ask, did Mr. Malfoy enter this equation?" he drawled, feigning mild interest. Draco shot him a look and Ginny colored.

"Well… he… um-"

"He came in with us, Professor Snape," Hermione cut in quickly. "Malfoy and I were finishing rounds and Ron was waiting for me. We heard screaming coming from the Prefect bathroom and decided to investigate. We saw… _Warrington_ attacking Ginny," she finished lamely, noticing Ron's fists curling at the mention of what happened after they had entered the bathroom. Dumbledore glanced over at Ginny.

"Is this what happened, Ginny?"

Ginny glanced over at Hermione before nodded.

"He was trying to… to rape me," she said with a trembling lip.

"What happened to Warrington?" McGonagall asked.

To this no one answered. By this time, Madame Pomfrey had come out of her office and had heard the question.

"Mr. Warrington?! You want to know what happened to that boy? I'll tell you what happened! He's been cursed with a string of hexes and spells that would make a Death Eater wet his pants," she said, indicating Draco Malfoy as she said this. Ginny turned to face Draco.

"You used Dark Magic?" she asked shakily, eyes wide. Draco's eyes met hers and her mind suddenly flashed back to the day she had seen Draco kill Crabbe… she remembered the look in his eyes… "Oh my God-"

Hermione grabbed Ginny's arm and began to pull her towards the exit.

"Ginny, we should go," she hissed. "We shouldn't be here anymore."

Dumbledore held up his hand.

"No. Ginny needs to stay. You two, however, should return to your common room. Do not mention what has happened to _anyone_," he said, fixing them a look that clearly said 'Especially not Harry'. Ron and Hermione nodded and left quickly. McGonagall indicated the bed besides Draco's.

"I suggest you tell us what _really_ happened, Ginerva," she said.

Ginny glanced over at Draco. Their eyes met for a moment and he nodded. Sighing, Ginny looked up at Dumbledore.

"Draco was with me before Warrington came in…"

**A/N: This is the _longest_ chapter I have ever written, _ever_! It was originally about thirteen pages, but I added _a lot_ to the conversation Ginny and Draco had and it ended up being _soooo_ much longer. R/R!**


	14. The Halloween Ball

**A/N: I do not own Harry Potter! I wish I did though. :-)**

_Fear is an emotion indispensable for survival._ **-Hannah Arendt**

* * *

"There's Malfoy," Harry muttered at breakfast the following day. Ron, Ginny and Hermione instantly looked up to see the Slytherin Prince swaggering into the Great Hall with a whole posse of girls, including Pansy Parkinson, at his side. Many others were staring at him as well. Rumors had been spreading around the school about what had happened in the Prefect bathroom yesterday, but the basic story that the Heads of the Houses had released was that Draco and Warrington got into a fight in the bathroom and Ginny just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Ron and Hermione were left out completely.

Though Ron did not get into serious trouble for what he had done to Draco, he was to serve detention with Snape until Valentine's Day. Neither Ron nor Snape were happy about the situation. The embarrassing excuse for the detentions was for sneaking into the Potions closet and nicking some love potions. What he had used them for was kept out of the story.

Warrington, whose memory of the incident had been mysteriously wiped away, was still up in the Hospital Wing with a few other curious conditions that Madame Pomfrey was having trouble dealing with. Draco, for his own sake, did not admit to anything other than knocking Warrington out.

Harry was blissfully unaware of the entire situation, though he did notice that Ron and Ginny were a bit cold to each other during breakfast.

"Prat," Ron grumbled, turning back to his eggs. "Deserved whatever happened to him."

Ginny shot him a nasty glare but said nothing. Hermione sighed.

"Tonight's going to be interesting," she muttered.

Harry snorted.

"Yeah right. Millicent came up to me yesterday and told me that if I stepped on her shoes while we danced that she'd stuff me into one of Flitwick's shoes," he said with a shudder.

"Well at least you don't have Parkinson. She's a whore," Ron said miserably.

Ginny straightened a little.

"Finally, something we can agree on," she said. Ron fixed her with a look.

"I have a few words about your partner as well-"

"Ron! Let's go see if we can fix those dress robes of yours before tonight," Hermione squeaked, standing up suddenly and tugging at Ron's arm. Ron glanced over at her before standing up as well.

"Yeah whatever," he muttered, getting up and stalking off out of the Great Hall. Harry glanced between Ginny and Ron.

"Are you two okay?" he asked.

Ginny feigned a smile and nodded.

"He's just upset about my date," she said. Harry nodded, frowning.

"I can understand… just be careful, okay?"

Ginny could hear the concern in his voice and tried not to smile at his misguided worry.

"Don't worry about me. I can take care of Malfoy," she said.

* * *

Draco stood at the entrance to the castle with Rockwell, Goyle and Valance, waiting for the Gryffindors to show up. The Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws had already gone ahead, seeing as they were happily separate from Dumbledore's punishment.

"After the fifth song, I need you two to find out where Warrington's keeping Zabini," Draco growled quietly, noticing a few Gryffindors filing out of the doors towards their reluctant Slytherin partners. Rockwell glanced over at the small fifth year he was taking.

"Sure," he muttered before crossing over to her. Draco smirked when he saw the girl glare at Rockwell before following him to the carriage that waited to take them into Hogsmeade. Draco's eyes narrowed at the threstals that tugged at their harnesses. He had been able to see those things ever since his second year. He hated them. What he hated more though were the two Aurors sitting at the head of the carriage.

_The Ministry's idea no doubt_, Draco thought darkly.

"There's my girl," Valance grumbled, moving off.

"There you are."

Draco cringed at the silky voice of Pansy Parkinson and could feel her arms encircle him.

"Pansy," he said carefully, turning to face her. "Don't you have a Weasley to be tormenting?"

She rolled her eyes.

"I have an even better idea," she whispered, moving close to his stiff form. Goyle rolled his eyes at this and looked away. Though his disgust for Pansy wasn't as bad as the currently missing Blaise, he was still repulsed occasionally by her public display of throwing herself at Draco. "Why don't you and I go find a quiet broom closet to be alone in?"

"That sounds tempting."

The two looked to see Ginny standing there with her hand on her hip. Her brother was standing behind her, looking just as annoyed, but for different reasons. Draco, however, wasn't concerned with the giant oaf. Just his sister.

She looked absolutely beautiful. Her hair was done up in an elaborate bun, with pieces of hair falling from it in different areas, tipped black for the holiday. She was wearing a gorgeous black halter dress that clung to her in all of the right places. A ghost of a smile teased her seducing pink lips.

In that moment, Draco wanted nothing more than to screw the entire Ball, find a dark corner somewhere and snog her until she couldn't stand.

"Malfoy, maybe you should take her now so I don't have to dance with you," she added, noticing the very obvious look he was giving her.

Pansy moved from Draco to stand right in front of Ginny. She was almost three inches taller.

"Listen to me," she growled. "If you so much as _think_ about touching him, I'll kill you."

Ginny glanced over at Draco before rolling her eyes.

"You don't have to worry about that," she whispered, moving around Pansy to step up beside Draco, who had watched the whole thing with a smirk. Ron shot Draco a warning look before leading the way to a carriage. "She should be worried more about you," Ginny muttered, following Draco into a carriage. A few other Gryffindors shot him nasty looks, clearly telling him that they would all hurt him if he hurt the precious little Weasley.

"Why do you say that, Weasley?" Draco asked, closing the door once she had gotten in. The carriage began to move. Ginny grinned.

"Because… the moment we're out of sight, you're going to-"

Draco cut her off with a heated kiss, pulling her over to his side of the carriage so that she was sitting on his lap. She held his face in her hands and pulled him closer, responding eagerly to him. He left her lips to move down to her neck, reveling in the way she felt.

"You look beautiful," he whispered. Ginny pulled away from him and touched his face.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

Draco reached up and touched her face.

"Yes."

She tilted her head to the side and gave him a small smile.

"Good… now let's practice being enemies for the sake of our Houses and my brother," she said.

Draco smirked, kissing her quickly.

"That's going to be hard when I'm thinking about yesterday… _before_ Warrington arrived," he added, his eyes growing dark for a moment. Ginny shrugged.

"Well, you'll just have to. Besides… you're good at that sort of thing."

"What?"

"Being a pratish arse."

Draco pulled her to him, smiling.

"You're impossible," he whispered before kissing her again.

* * *

Hermione watched Ginny and Draco exit their carriage, looking as if they would rather kill each other than dance with each other. Hermione let out a sigh. At least they were doing something right.

Hermione returned to looking around the entire area. Dumbledore had managed to clear out the entire center of Hogsmeade to set up a large tent for the students. A tent heavily guarded by Aurors. It was beautifully decorated in the Halloween theme and music was playing. The Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws were already having a good time while only a select few of the Gryffindors were trying to make due with their less than civil companions. They had assigned seating due to the arrangement and Hermione found herself sitting between Goyle and Harry, who was trying to ignore the dirty looks Millicent Bulstrode was giving him from across the table. Hermione was actually surprised to see Ginny and Draco appear at their table, closely followed by a very angry Pansy Parkinson and red Ron Weasley, who looked ready to throttle the Slytherin he was with.

"This is awkward," Ginny muttered, sitting down between Draco and Harry, who directed all of his efforts to glaring at Draco. Draco was trying his best to ignore Pansy, who had settled down next to him, leaving Ron to deal with Bulstrode, who had suddenly found an interest in him instead.

There was a silence for a while at the table while many of them shifted uneasily in their seats. Ron then began to look around the tent.

"Do you think we're allowed to dance with people from our own House?" he asked curiously, eyeing Pansy ruefully. Harry shrugged.

"I hope so," he muttered, earning him a cold look from Millicent.

"They'll probably make us dance with our partners, though," Ginny added, trying not to look at Draco. If she did, she'd start smiling. Not because she was eager to do so, she was, but because at the present moment, he happened to be massaging her thigh with his hand, while looking completely disgusted by the whole seating arrangement.

"That _would_ be dreadful," Draco sneered. Ron shot him a nasty look which Draco chose to ignore. Hermione looked at Ron, hoping he'd be able to keep it together tonight. They fell into another uncomfortable silence until Ginny let out a squeak and jolted in her seat. Everyone turned to her and her face went completely red. Draco tried to hide the amusement in his face as he watched her eyes widen when she realized that she had attracted all the attention of the people at the table to her. Under the table, she shoved Draco's hand away from her as she glanced around the tent frantically.

"I… I... I have to go find someone," she mumbled pathetically, standing quickly and disappearing into the crowd of people near by. Harry frowned.

"What's up with her?" he asked.

Draco just leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms across his chest.

"Who knows?" he said with a smirk. "She's gone."

"Oh piss off," Ron snapped.

"Ron," Hermione hissed.

The two glared at each other as the others fell into another silence. Pansy sighed.

"This is such a _waste of time_," she complained. "I'd rather be dead than here."

"If you start complaining, I'll happily arrange it," Ron growled.

* * *

Ginny weaved her way around the large tent, hoping to catch a glimpse of long blonde hair. She finally did and darted over to it.

"Luna! Finally," she gasped.

Luna turned around and smiled.

"Oh, hello Ginny. I was looking for you as well," she said in her dreamy voice. "I heard you were here with Draco Malfoy."

Ginny nodded, blushing again.

"Yes, well… that's not going very well as you could imagine," she said, looking around. "Where's your date? I thought you had one."

Luna pointed over to the refreshment table.

"He's getting me a drink," she said. "He's a funny boy. Talks so much about nothing. I don't understand why."

Ginny couldn't help but smile at her friend as she pulled her to the side and quickly updated her on what was going on between herself and Draco. Luna's eyes widened when Ginny mentioned Warrington, but remained silent until the redhead was finished.

"How long do you think this is going to last, Ginny?"

For the first time, Luna actually sounded serious. Ginny bit her lip. She hadn't thought that far ahead. The only thing that had concerned her was anyone finding out… but now that Luna mentioned it… how long would it last? How long would _he_ last?

That wasn't the normal Draco Malfoy she was kissing. That was something else that had been suppressed for such a long time that Ginny was sure that Draco would eventually shove it back down to protect both herself and him. That was the only thing she was sure of…

"I don't know, Luna," Ginny whispered, glancing at a couple of boys who walked by, eyeing them appreciatively. Ginny rolled her eyes at them and returned to Luna, who was watching her carefully.

"You should be careful, then. You may be sleeping with him, but that doesn't mean he won't hurt you," she whispered.

Before Ginny could respond, Dumbledore's voice interrupted the activities.

"For the next dance, we would like each person to dance with the person they came to the Halloween Ball with," the old man said, a smile on his face. A string of curses could be heard from one of the Slytherin/Gryffindor tables as people reluctantly stood up. Luna's date came back over and took her away, leaving Ginny standing there contemplating what her friend had just said.

"Let's get this over with Weasley."

Ginny jumped at the sound of Draco's voice and she turned to see him staring at her, holding out his arm. She took it tentatively and followed him to the dance floor where everyone was. He held her at arms length and they began to dance with the others, moving slowly to the beat of the music. Ginny glanced around the dance floor and caught sight of Hermione moving around with Goyle, wincing each time the giant boy stepped on her foot. Ginny also saw Ron and Pansy moving around slowly, glaring in opposite directions and looking completely unhappy.

"What were you and Loony talking about?"

Ginny shot him a look.

"Her name is Luna," she hissed. "And we weren't talking about anything."

Draco rolled his eyes.

"You forget that I spend most of my time with snakes, Weasley. I know when people are lying to me," he whispered, noticing, with the most elated glee, that Harry Potter was having a hard time with Millicent, who seemed to want to lead the dance instead of follow Harry. "Well?"

Ginny bit her lip and looked around again, trying to find Luna.

"We were talking about you," she confessed quietly, wincing when he stepped on her foot deliberately, causing her to glare at him. He only smirked.

"Well, I tend to be the object of several people's conversations lately," he said haughtily. Ginny hit him in the arm.

"I'm beginning to regret this whole relationship," she muttered. "You think too much about your self."

Draco smirked.

"I believe two of the terms you used were egotistical and conceited, though I'm pretty sure they mean the same thing."

"You know what I would like to do right now?" Ginny asked.

"What?"

"Shove that sarcastic arse of yours right down your-"

"My, my, aren't we aggressive?" he cut in, noticing the ghost of a smile flit across her soft features. "You should really see someone about that."

Ginny, in turn, muttered something rude about ferrets.

"You know what _I_ would like to do right now?" Draco asked quietly, shooting a sixth year Gryffindor a nasty look.

"What?" Ginny asked, feeling his hand on her back move slightly lower towards the small of her back.

"Drag you into one of those bathrooms and-"

"Draco," Ginny warned.

"Lock the door behind me, get rid of this lovely little dress and-"

"I think that's quite enough," Ginny snapped, shooting him a dirty look. "_You_ really need to see someone about that problem of yours. All you think about is sex."

Draco shook his head, glancing around.

"No. I think about death sometimes. My bastard of a father. Potter. Death Eaters. And you…"

Ginny raised an eyebrow.

"When you think of me, do I have my clothes on?" she asked derisively. He didn't answer. He just smirked and moved his hand completely to the small of her back. Draco's grin widened when he felt her shudder. He noticed a few Slytherins watching him and decided that it was time to end the dance.

"Slap me," he hissed under his breath.

"What?" Ginny asked, her head snapping to him.

"Slap me," he repeated.

Ginny's eyes widened and she narrowed her eyes.

"Why the hell would you want me to-"

Draco reached down and grabbed her ass aggressively and Ginny instinctively slapped him across the face. Hard. Her eyes widened at what she just did, but when she noticed that other people had stopped dancing to stare at them, she knew she had to go through with it. She straightened herself indignantly and turned on her heel.

"Bastard," she hissed before stalking off into the crowds. Ron could be heard sniggering somewhere in the background. Draco just rolled his eyes and swaggered off in the opposite direction where Valance and Rockwell were standing. He'd deal with her later.

* * *

"At least it's over," Harry muttered as he stepped into a carriage with Ron, Hermione, Luna and Ginny.

"I enjoyed it," Luna said brightly, holding up the prize she had won for most unusually dressed. Ron snorted.

"I think you're the only one," he replied, glancing over at Hermione who was rubbing her feet in pain.

"I think he broke all of my toes," Hermione told them, pointing at a bruise on her left foot. "Look at this."

Ron pulled her to him and kissed her brow.

"Don't worry about it, 'Mione," he whispered and everyone else just grinned at the two. Harry turned to Ginny.

"What happened with you and Malfoy? You looked angry after that dance," he said. Ron overheard and looked away from Hermione, grinning.

"She slapped the git," he told Harry happily. Ginny shot him a look.

"He was just bothering me, that's all," she replied to Harry before turning to Luna and whispered something to her. Ron just grinned as he leaned back in his seat.

"That was the best part of my night."

* * *

Draco glanced out the window into the direction Valance was pointing.

"You're sure?"

Valance nodded.

"Rockwell checked it out an hour ago. It's at least twenty-five miles from here, in the mountains. Warrington's smart though. He has at least fifteen guards on Blaise," he told Draco. The blonde frowned.

"Where is Rockwell now?" he asked, looking back at Valance. The boy shrugged.

"In some other carriage with a pretty little Ravenclaw who doesn't know what's coming to her," he replied coolly, wishing he were doing the same thing. Draco rolled his eyes and returned to looking out the carriage window.

"Ravenclaws aren't that interesting," he muttered.

"Apparently Gryffindors are," Valance said without thinking.

Draco remained silent for a moment before turning to face Valance.

"You should try one sometime," he growled. "Might help with that mouth of yours."

Valance paled slightly, but showed no other emotion. He turned and glanced out the window.

"Great," he groaned. "It's starting to rain. At least-"

_BOOM!_

The intensity of the explosion shook their carriage as a bright flash of scorching flames shot out of a carriage a few meters away. Screams could be heard immediately by students as the carriage that blew up sat there, a blazing inferno for those trapped inside. Draco and Valance pulled out their wands just as another carriage behind theirs exploded.

"Get out Malfoy! NOW!"

Draco glanced out the window to see two Aurors glaring at them, wands held high. Valance met Draco's quick look before tucking his wand away and opening the door.

"Get on the ground now!" one of them, a short fat fellow, barked, motioning for Valance to get down on the dirt which was quickly becoming mud as the rain fell. Valance did as he was told as three more Aurors appeared.

"Where's Malfoy?" one asked.

"We need to hurry. I can see people coming from the school," another muttered anxiously, glancing around and trying to ignore screaming students. Draco sized them up carefully as they kept a close eye on Valance.

"Come out you coward!" one Auror shouted.

Draco stepped out of the carriage gracefully, wrinkling his nose when the rain began to fall upon his head.

"On the ground!"

Draco raised an eyebrow.

"These are expensive robes," he told them. "I'd hate to get them dirty."

One Auror, who seemed to have enough of waiting, charged Draco and hit him in the face.

"Get down on the ground!" he roared.

Draco smirked as he touched his bleeding lip.

"See, now you've made three mistakes since you've gotten here. First of all, you don't hit me. It's not polite. Secondly, you set students on fire," Draco told them, eyes flashing dangerously.

"What's the last?" the Auror asked, training his wand on Draco's chest.

Draco glanced behind him before fixing him with a cold look.

"We're still armed."

Three of the Aurors screamed in pain from the silent curses fired by Valance while the one in front of Draco fell to the ground, dead. The last Auror took off into the woods. Draco stepped over the corpse and looked around. At least thirty carriages had not made it through the gates of Hogwarts and the twenty eight that were not on fire were under attack from the other Aurors who were trying to deal with the frightened students. Draco could see some students fleeing into the Forbidden Forest while others cowered behind the carriages to avoid the jets of light that streaked out of certain areas of the woods.

Sparks of red that came from Draco's left attracted his attention from the fighting. He and Valance turned to see Goyle standing behind some bushes, motioning for them to follow. Draco glanced around one last time before he headed into the woods, secretly hoping that Ginny had made it past the gates.

* * *

"Into the woods!" Ron roared, shoving Hermione and Luna ahead of him as they sprinted from their carriage to the forest. Ginny and Harry almost made it when Harry yanked Ginny down just before she was struck by a jet of green.

"Stay down," he hissed, gripping her arm tightly as he looked around. Ginny glanced around as well and her eyes captured a flash of red sparks and she saw a familiar tall, blonde figure disappear into the woods.

"Come on!"

Harry helped her up and began to run to the woods.

"Over here!" Hermione shouted. They ran over to meet them and they all huddled behind a couple of bushes.

"Well, this is lovely," Luna said and they all just stared at her. Hermione was the first to recover and she pointed to the gates.

"They're blocking the gates," she whispered. They all turned to see at least twenty Aurors standing at the gates, preventing any other students from getting back into Hogwarts while fighting off some of the professors who had come down from Hogwarts castle. "Oh my God…" She turned away and buried her face in Ron's chest when green jets lit up the night momentarily and several students fell down cold. Everyone else just stared in horror.

"They're slaughtering them…" Harry murmured.

There was a flash of green and then a tree near by them exploded into a million splinters. They all turned to see two Aurors running towards them, wands raised.

"RUN!" Ron screamed and they all plunged head first into the woods, running desperately from their pursuers. They had just made it past a small clearing when Harry stopped them.

"Wait! Where's Ginny!"

* * *

Ginny was wet, scared and lost. When they had taken off running, she had tripped and fallen behind. By the time she had gotten back to her feet, she could no longer see the others through the dense woods and the rain that fell fiercely from the sky. She had managed to escape the two Aurors though.

Now she found herself wandering through the woods aimlessly, having no idea where she was. A crack of lightening lit up the forest briefly, verifying the fact that she was indeed lost, before plunging her back into a world she could barely see. She gasped in pain when she cut her legs on some thorns and she sat down to see the damage.

"NOOOOO!"

Ginny stood up at the sound and she looked around frantically. She saw a flash of red light and she headed towards it carefully, glancing around to see if she was being followed. She reached a couple of bushes and crouched down in them, peering out to see what was going on.

"You know, Carter, I was actually enjoying myself before you and your lot decided to go and blow up a few students," hissed Draco as he circled a woman lying on the ground, withering in excruciating pain. Ginny gasped. It was the same woman from Ginny's dream… the one who had been lying in the mud…

Ginny glanced around quickly. There was no one else in the vicinity.

"I'm actually quite insulted that Lucius didn't send more people to come and get me. But, let's not dwell on the past." He hissed something under his breath and the woman screamed out again, begging him to stop. Ginny bit her lip and looked away. She could never bear watching torture… no matter who was doing it.

"What does Lucius have planned for me?"

"I can't tell you."

Her shrieks of pain were drowned out by the boom of thunder and frequent cracks of lightening as the storm worsened. Draco squatted down beside her, glaring at her.

"Tell me, Carter, what does Lucius have planned?"

"I can't," the woman gasped, spitting out blood from her mouth. Draco let out a sigh, grabbed her by the back of the hair, forcing her to look him square in the face.

"Now… one last time… what does he have planned? And don't tell me that you can't tell me. I'll just kill you," he said in an annoyed fashion. The woman was silent for a moment, contemplating her future for a moment. Would it be better to give one Malfoy his information and live, or remain loyal to the other Malfoy and die?

She chose to live.

"Something about Christmas… He's been planning something for Christmas… Something to do with your last memory of Malfoy Manor…" she rasped out.

Draco dropped her head, frowning. He had no memory of last Christmas. He stared at her for a moment before he raised his wand. A jet of green shot out and the woman fell still. Ginny's eyes widened and she stood up.

"You killed her!" she screamed.

Draco looked up, surprised to see that he had an audience.

"Weasley?"

Ginny ran over to the woman and fell to her side.

"You killed her," she gasped.

Draco rolled her eyes and pulled Ginny up from out of the mud.

"Oh relax, Weasley. She's just unconscious. Though, when she wakes up, she'll probably wish I'd killed her," he muttered, looking over her carefully. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Ginny looked up at him, trying not to show how scared she had previously been.

"I got lost."

Draco smirked as he took off his outer robes and wrapped them around her bare shoulders.

"Typical," he said. Ginny pulled the robes more tightly around her, thankful for some shelter from the rain. She pointed to the woman.

"Draco, that was the woman I-"

"Get down," Draco hissed, pulling her down into the mud and suddenly images flashed before Ginny's eyes as if it were really happening.

"_Shut up," the person hissed and for a moment she almost screamed in shock. The person held her close to them for a moment until the cracking sound finally when away._

Ginny blinked and looked up to see shrouded figures moving seamlessly through the trees just beyond them. The woods lit up briefly and Ginny gasped when she saw the Dementors glide ominously by, unaware of their existence. They lay there for a moment before Draco stood up and helped Ginny up.

"You know what this means, right," Draco muttered. Ginny's eyes widened in realization and she turned to look behind her.

"Oh no…"

There was a colossal explosion right then, shaking the ground around them. In the distance, Ginny saw the raging flames form, but she also saw four people dashing towards them madly.

"Time to go, Weasley!" Draco growled, grabbing her arm and yanking her off in the opposite direction of the flames.

"But Hogwarts is that way!" Ginny screamed.

"WHO BLOODY CARES?!" Draco roared back, dragging her through the bushes as they ran. Once again, Ginny was finding it hard to keep up with Draco's long-legged sprint and she found herself struggling to breathe as she worked extra hard to keep up with him. She chanced a glance behind her and her eyes widened.

"This isn't good!" she cried, speeding up. She collided right into Draco's back when he stopped suddenly in front of her.

"Neither is this," Draco muttered. Ginny looked around him and her eyes widened. They had reached a huge rift in the mountains where a river was cutting through below. They had cleared the forest and were standing at the edge of a very large cliff.

Ginny let out a moan.

"Oh my God, we're going to die," she mumbled.

"GINNY!"

The two turned to see Ron burst out of the woods and stop beside them. His eyes widened.

"Shit," he muttered before looking behind him. "This isn't good."

The fire was rushing them quickly as Luna, Hermione, and Harry rushed out of the forest as well.

"We have to jump!" Ron told them above the thunder. Draco glanced behind him one last time before shoving Ginny in front of him.

"Let's not stand on ceremony!" he shouted before jumping after her. The others took one look at each other before jumping as well.

The fall felt like forever, but when Ginny hit the water, she cried out in agony, not just at the impact, but at the needle-point pain that overwhelmed her from the glacial waters. She tried desperately to stay above the raging waters, but something struck her in the head from the side and everything when dark.

* * *

Lucius looked up from his food to see two men walk into his study.

"Well?" Lucius drawled expectantly, setting down his knife and fork to hear what was to be said. The men shifted unnervingly, knowing something bad would happen after what was said.

"We have two problems, sir."

"What are those?"

"There was an incident in the woods. A few curses got jumbled up and there was a Feral Explosion."

"And?"

"We… we lost him…"

"WHAT?!"

The two cowered by the door. Rarely did a Malfoy lose his temper.

"HE'S ONE SNIVELING CHILD! HOW DO YOU _LOSE_ HIM?!" Lucius roared, standing up and striding angrily over to them.

"The Aurors were unprepared-"

"What do you mean, they were unprepared? I told you to send fifteen Aurors to retrieve him. How were they unprepared?" Lucius demanded, his voice suddenly a deadly calm.

The two glanced at each other.

"There… There were only five…"

"What?"

"There were only five Aurors, sir," one muttered, eyeing Malfoy's wand hand. The tall blonde man remained silent as he nodded slowly to what he had just been told. He moved over to his desk and traced the intricate drawings on his chair lightly.

"Five… Five Aurors…" he whispered, fingering the steak knife on his desk. One of the Aurors decided to speak up.

"There wasn't time to gather all of the Aurors to get him, Malfoy. Many of the students were starting to fight back."

Lucius nodded.

"Of course… there were too many students…" he murmured, bringing the knife up to his face to look at carefully. "Tell me something, Peterson. How many Aurors does it take to deal with fifty terrorized little students?"

"Sir?"

Lucius sighed.

"Let's make this simpler. How many Aurors does it take to capture one of the deadliest students at Hogwarts?"

"Fifteen?"

Lucius chuckled.

"Then tell me… why did you only send _five_?"

"Sir, the other students were­-"

"Wrong answer, Peterson," Lucius snarled before flinging the knife. Peterson's eyes bulged with shock as he grasped at the knife hilt that protruded from his neck. Blood spluttered from his gurgling lips as he fell to his knees, reaching out for his partner to help. The other man did not look down.

"Smith… tell me… how many Aurors does it take to capture my son?"

"Thirty."

"Good. At least you'll know that next time."

"Next time?"

Lucius looked down at his nails and examined them carefully.

"Draco's in the forest and I know where he's headed, if he hasn't reached there already. I'll deal with him myself."

**A/N: HEEEEEELLLLLLOOOOOOO!! I'M BACK! I'm sorry for the very long delay, but never fear! I have... ten more chapters waiting. That's right, over the past three weeks I have written ten more chapters, with at five more on the way, at the least, I believe. We'll have to see. R/R!**

**Skepo:** Yes, well, I figured we'd have a little fun before we reached the hard stuff.

**hpfreaklol:** I hope you like this one!

**purplegabby123:** Thanks!

**MeggyandHaku:** That was one of my favorite parts also. :-)

**darkroses2992:** And better and better, I hope!

**nextbestthing:** Well, you know I couldn't let Warrington do that to her, and as for Ron beating the crap out of Draco, wouldn't you beat the crap out of anyone if you thought they'd just raped your sister?

**tamara72:** Well, he did get the chance to beat the living daylights out of Draco, so he doesn't have much else left to be upset about. I just absolutely _love_ the way he deals with the whole situation with Ginny and Draco in this chapter.


	15. Right Place, Wrong Time

_The enemy is fear. We think it is hate; but, it is fear._ **_-Gandhi._**

* * *

A shooting pain in her head and stomach as well as the cold water brought Ginny back to consciousness in one breathless jolt. Her eyes bulged and her chest heaved as she threw up the water that had been lodged in her lungs. She rolled over on her stomach and retched again, clutching her stomach as she got rid of her dinner.

"That sounds attractive."

Ginny let out a disappointed groan and looked to her side to see Draco lying beside her, a hand on his bleeding side. His eyes were closed in suppressed pain as he breathed deeply through his nose. He was terribly pale and shaking a little from the freezing water they were partially submerged in.

"You don't look too great yourself," she muttered, spitting out the nasty taste in her mouth before struggling to her knees. She looked around the shallow bank and caught sight of Luna and Ron walking down towards them slowly. Luna was limping slightly, but overall the two looked okay. She looked behind her and saw Hermione sitting up beside her, shivering. Harry was at her side, helping her to her feet. He was bleeding from a nasty gash on his head, but otherwise, he looked fine as well.

"Are you all okay?" Ron asked, going over to his sister and helping her to her feet.

"I'm great, Weasley, thanks for asking," Draco growled, finally opening his eyes and sitting up painfully. "Just a little scratches here and there."

"You jumped," Ron muttered, watching as the Slytherin struggled to his feet. "You could have stayed."

"I'm sure you would have loved that," Draco replied coldly.

"Where are we?" Luna cut in, looking around them.

"The mountains most likely," Hermione answered, pointing to the large pines around them. "We're not near Hogwarts."

Ginny looked at them.

"Who set off the explosion?" she asked, feeling herself beginning to shake from the freezing cold water that dripped from her clothes. Harry, Hermione and Ron pointed to Luna and Ginny's eyes widened.

"What?"

When Luna didn't respond Draco rolled his eyes and smirked.

"Spent some time with Blaise have you?" he asked.

Surprisingly, Luna's cheeks reddened, despite the fact that she was trembling from the cold. Harry frowned.

"Blaise Zabini?"

Draco raised an eyebrow.

"You're a quick one aren't you," he muttered. Harry scowled.

"What the hell are you doing here anyway?" he growled.

Draco sighed.

"For such a courageous lot, you Gryffindors aren't very polite," he muttered. He winced a little when a wave of pain flooded over him. Hermione, despite her dislike for the young man, looked a bit concerned.

"Perhaps you should sit down. You look really bad," she said. Draco shot her a nasty look he saved only for those of her status.

"I'll be _fine_ once Weasley gives me back my robes," he gritted heatedly through clenched teeth. Everyone except Luna looked at Ron.

"What?"

Draco rolled his eyes.

"Oh for Merlin's sake, not _that_ Weasley," he growled and they all turned to Ginny, who had also managed to turn a little pink regardless of the cold.

"_What_?" Harry asked, completely confused. Ginny bit her lip and took off the black robes that were around her, handing them to Draco who grabbed them and searched them quickly. He pulled out a small bottle of silvery liquid before handing Ginny the robes back. "What's going on?"

Ginny didn't answer. Instead she watched Draco uncork the bottle and down the entire thing in one gulp. He was silent for a moment before he straightened up to his normal intimidating stature, removing his hand from he healed side. The blonde then turned to Harry and tilted his head to the side, his eyes daring Harry to speak another word.

"Problem, Potter?" he growled. Harry glared at him.

"Yeah, you. What the hell are you doing to Ginny?"

Draco's eyes lit up with the temptation to tell Harry exactly what neither he nor Ron wanted to hear. It was too easy.

Ginny, on the other hand, saw the glint and decided to stop it before Draco said something that would get him pounded.

She reached out and touched Draco's arm.

"Draco, don't," she hissed warningly. Draco held her eyes for a moment before taking a step away from Harry and walking around him, giving Harry a suggestive wink before starting off down the bank, away from where the river was flowing. Ron glanced at Ginny.

"At least _you_ have him trained," he muttered.

Draco couldn't resist.

"You should see what I have _her_ trained to do, Weasel King," he called over his shoulder.

Ginny and Hermione grabbed both Ron and Harry and held them back.

"Stop it," Ginny snapped, pushing them away. "You'll only end up hurting yourselves," she told them before she followed after Draco, Luna at her side. Harry turned to Ron and Hermione.

"You _knew_?"

Hermione reddened.

"Dumbledore told us not to tell you. He knew you wouldn't like it," she whispered.

"So they're-"

"Together? Yeah," Ron grumbled depressingly as he began to walk. Harry looked horrified.

"Why the bloody hell would she-"

"That's none of your business, Potter," Draco shouted from up ahead, having heard the comment. Harry glared hatefully at the blonde.

"You bloody wanker! She could do a _lot_ better than you!"

"I doubt it," Draco muttered and Ginny shot him an amused look. He smirked at her before turning around to face the incensed raven head.

"You know, Potter. We were actually talking about you yesterday," he said and Ginny's eyes widened. "We made a list."

"Draco, stop it!" she said, grabbing him and trying to pull him along. But he was stronger than her and easily pulled her flush up against him.

"I believe mine was longer than yours," Draco said and Ginny had a very weird feeling that he was talking about more than just the list.

"Draco!" she snapped, trying to pull away from him.

"I think she equated you to a house elf."

"Go to hell!" Harry snapped.

To everyone's surprise, Ginny was the one who responded, looking up at Draco with an amused grin.

"He's already there," she said before pulling away from him and running up ahead to Luna, who was looking around curiously. Draco winked at them all before he continued walking. Harry was about to go after him when Hermione grabbed him by the arm and pulled him over to her.

"Harry, don't!" she hissed. She glanced over at the other three, her eyes filled with concern. "Ginny's right… Malfoy's more dangerous than we think… Look at what he did to Crabbe."

"He did that?" Harry asked.

Hermione nodded, her frown deepening.

"Ginny didn't tell me much… but the point is, she doesn't have to. He's Lucius Malfoy's son… there's nothing else to say," she whispered. She turned to Ron and Harry. "I know you two don't like this, but you have to admit… he's protected her. I'm sure more than once. That has to count for something."

"Not much," Ron muttered.

"But something," Hermione stressed, shooting him a disapproving look. "As long as he cares about her, she's safe… and both of you know it."

Harry felt conflicting emotions swell up in him and it took him a while to gain control of them.

"Oh bloody hell," he muttered.

"I second that," Ron mumbled. Hermione looked between the two and sighed.

"Well… as long as we have that settled, could you two _please_ try not to get into a fight with him. As much as I know you hate him, I'd like to get back to Hogwarts without any more injuries," she told them before she began to walk off in the direction the other three had taken. Harry glanced over at Ron and frowned.

"How are you taking this so well?"

Ron smirked and began to walk as well.

"How do you think Malfoy _really_ ended up in the Hospital Wing last night?"

* * *

"Draco, can I ask you something?" Ginny whispered, stepping up beside him as they continued their slow trek down the river. He glanced down at her then shrugged.

"What is it?"

"That woman-"

"Coincidence."

Ginny frowned, knowing that he knew exactly what she was thinking about. She glanced behind her at the others before speaking again.

"Why are you so sure? It was _exactly_ like our dream-"

"No, Weasley, it wasn't. Because it was _just_ a dream."

Ginny rolled her eyes.

"Yes, and even in your dreams, you kiss your enemy's younger sister," she muttered. Draco smirked.

"It calmed you down," he replied. She hit him in the arm.

"This isn't funny, Draco. You know as well as I do that what happened was not just a coincidence. It has to mean _something_," she hissed.

Draco kept his eyes ahead of him, glancing continuously into the forest on his left for any sign of disturbance.

"If these dreams are more than what they appear then I suggest you stay clear, Weasley," he muttered. Ginny frowned.

"Why?"

He looked down at her, his grey eyes boring into her very soul and searching for something he himself was in denial about.

"Because I highly doubt I'm going to be the first to find you when you're walking down that corridor alone," he said, causing her to stop in her tracks. He continued going, knowing that what he had just said had stunned her beyond anymore conversation.

_Good_, he thought grimly. _At least she'll begin to really think about what she's gotten herself into._

* * *

"Where exactly are we?" Ron asked an hour later. They had stopped following the river and had veered off into the woods. It was easier to see what was going on now that it was lighter, suggesting that they had spent more hours unconscious on the bank than they had realized.

"Why Weasley, are you in a hurry to be somewhere?" Draco drawled as he stepped around a thorn bush ahead of them.

"That attitude of yours really isn't attractive," Hermione muttered.

"Weasley seems to think otherwise."

There was a pause then Draco sighed.

"The younger one."

There was another silence before Ron spoke.

"My sister has a first name, you dolt," he snapped.

"He doesn't like to use it," Ginny murmured from beside her brother, taking his hand so that he could help her over a rather steep hill.

"Why not?"

"Because that means I'm the one who has to take responsibility," Draco replied over his shoulder, looking around the wooded area for a specific tree. Though Ginny knew exactly what he was talking about, the others were still confused. Except for Luna. She's never confused.

"Take responsibility for what?"

When Draco didn't respond, Ron frowned.

"You two have been…" There was a brief pause in which Ron searched for the right word to describe the situation Draco and Ginny were in. "_Seeing_ each other for the past few months and she still hasn't earned your respect?" Ron sneered.

Draco glanced behind him before he continued through the bushes and trees. Any answer was better than the truth.

"Exactly," he said. Harry snorted, walking past Ginny.

"I wonder why," he muttered under his breath. Ginny caught his eye and stopped. The look he just gave her was the look he'd given her only one time before… the disappointed look that made her feel as if she had just made a horrible mistake.

She reached out to stop him.

"Harry-"

"Shhh," Draco hissed, stopping and pulling out his wand. Ginny bit her lip, but said nothing more as they all moved over to Draco.

"What is it?" Harry asked.

"Warrington's thicker than Lucius," Draco muttered under his breath as he peered over some bushes into a clearing about a hundred meters away. They all gathered around and saw what Draco was talking about.

In the clearing was about forty or so Slytherins standing out side of a small black tent. They could see nothing else.

"Is that Blaise?" Luna asked quietly, her eyes focused intently on the tent. They all glanced at her, surprised by her uncharacteristically serious tone.

"Yes it is, Lovegood," Draco replied quickly, looking around the clearing for something. Harry frowned.

"Wait. You led us around this forest just so you could go find one of your little cronies?"

Draco shrugged.

"You followed, Potter. To be quite honest, I don't give a damn if you find your way back to Hogwarts or not," he muttered under his breath.

"You son of a-"

"What are we waiting for?" Hermione cut in, shooting a dark look over at Harry, who was glaring at Draco's back.

Surprisingly, Draco responded quite politely to Hermione.

"A signal, Granger."

Ron snorted.

"At least something's rubbed off on him," he grumbled.

Draco smirked.

"You'd be surprised at what else your little sister's _rubbed off_ on me, Weasley," he said.

There was a short silence and then Ron spoke again in a barely controlled voice.

"Just be glad my sister and girlfriend are between you and I, Malfoy," he muttered darkly.

Draco rolled his eyes and they fell into a very uncomfortable silence until Draco spoke.

"Ah, here we go."

He was talking about the three dark figures moving through the forest on the right of the small clearing.

"The others?" Ginny asked so that only Draco could hear. He nodded silently, his grey eyes focused on the three.

"What's the plan, Malfoy?" Ron asked, surprising everyone, including Draco. When Ron noticed the attention he had drawn he shrugged irritably. "There are at least forty five of them and only nine of us. I'd like to be prepared." Hermione gave him a funny look and he rolled his eyes. "For once," he added and she nodded.

Draco chuckled and pointed to the large group of Slytherins.

"Like I said before. Warrington's even thicker than my… than Lucius," he muttered, correcting himself quickly. "At least Lucius sent trained professionals. These are puppies," he muttered.

"There are forty of them," Harry pointed out.

Draco rolled his eyes and sighed long-sufferingly.

"_Fine_, Potter. Then you can stay here with Weasley," he muttered, pulling out his wand.

"What?" both redheads hissed.

Draco pointed his finger at Ginny while keeping his eyes on the tent.

"That one."

Ginny's eyes widened while the others just gave Draco funny looks.

"Why the hell do I have to stay?" she demanded angrily.

Draco continued to watch the three figures intensely.

"I'm not arguing with you, Weasley. You're staying one way or another," he growled dangerously, not interested in giving his reasons in front of the Golden Trio. Luna he didn't mind because of Blaise.

"But-"

"_Stay_," he hissed before he suddenly stood up and began to sprint over towards the tent. Ginny shot looks over to the others but instead of responding, they too got up and followed after Draco.

"Stay here, Ginny," Ron ordered before he left.

Ginny puffed up indignantly and she was about to stand up, but then thought better of it and kneeled back down, glaring at their backs. Why did she have to stay? It couldn't be age or they would have told Luna to stay…

Screams interrupted her train of thought as flashes erupted from the clearing. Ginny couldn't even see what was going on anymore the flashes were so bright. She bit her lip as she saw bright green lights shoot through the clouds of dust that were starting to rise from fallen trees.

_Crack!_

Ginny whirled around in time to see a dark shadow dash off towards the river. Ginny glanced behind her to see if she could get someone's attention, but when she didn't seen anyone, she took off after the person herself.

She dashed past trees and over underbrush, wincing every so often as her bare legs got cut on brambles and thorns that reached out for her pale flesh. She could see the billowing black cloak flailing about behind the person she was chasing as they ran off ahead of her.

"Woah!"

Ginny dodged behind a tree in time to avoid the bright red jet that had been thrown at her by the figure. She pulled out her own wand and fired back several times as she continued her chase.

However, when she reached the river, she had lost track of the person. She stopped near the water edge and looked around, finding no trace of the person.

The moment Ginny felt the cold round point of wood on her neck; she let out a small scream before she closed her eyes and mentally cursed her own stupidity.

"Drop your wand."

Lucius Malfoy.

"Ms. Weasley, I suggest you do as you're told. It's the best way to stay alive," the older Malfoy drawled, digging his wand into her neck. She dropped her wand but made no other move. Even though she could not see him, she could feel his cold, grey eyes on her.

"It's a pity about what happened with the Ball," Malfoy said casually. "Turn around."

She did as she was told and faced the older man. Draco was a mirror image of his father. Tall, blonde and intimidating. Both had the same grey eyes, but unlike his father, Draco's eyes had evolved from the generic emotionless gaze that had once accompanied cruel sneers and scathing words to an amused stare that was joined with witty comments and a smirk that he seemed to save only for her.

But she forced all of these thoughts instantly out of her mind and thought only of the very perilous situation she had gotten herself in.

"You've changed since the last time I saw you," he said with a cold smirk on his face as his eyes wandered over her. "You screamed, but for different reasons."

"Go to hell," Ginny hissed, backing up until her feet hit the ice cold water. Lucius raised an eyebrow.

"Tsk, tsk," he clucked. "Didn't anyone teach you to respect your elders?"

Ginny placed a hand on her forehead as if she had forgotten something.

"Oh I'm sorry!" she exclaimed. "Go the hell, _please_."

The smirk disappeared from the man's face. He took a few steps closer and watched her step further into the water.

"Mind your tongue girl," he growled. "It takes respect to speak to me like that."

Ginny glared at him.

"You can shove that respect up your-"

Lucius's eyes grew when he saw something flash in Ginny's eyes that he had seen in only one other person.

"So it _is_ true…"

"What?"

Lucius couldn't help but smile at the girl's obliviousness to her current situation. He pointed his wand straight at her chest, eyes dancing.

"If you remember anything, Weasley, remember this," he said. "Draco may be the one to kill someone on the spot if they insult him, but when it comes down to it, my son would let the unimaginable happen to himself or anyone else rather than die."

* * *

Blaise wasn't surprised when he heard the screaming boys outside of the tent. Nor was he surprised to see Rockwell and Goyle come sauntering into the small tent with victorious smirks on their faces.

He was surprised to see Luna when he came out of the tent, along with Harry, Hermione and Ron.

Draco was never a surprise.

"Potter? Granger? Weasley?" he asked Draco quietly, glancing over at the Trio, who were tying up the boys to trees magically. Draco rolled his eyes.

"We ran into each other when I was interrogating Carter," he muttered, pocketing his wand. Blaise nodded, glancing over at Luna. Draco was about to say something rude about Blaise's behavior when a comment Hermione made cut him off.

"Ginny's missing."

His head snapped over to her and his eyes darkened quickly.

"What?" he demanded, walking over to her.

Hermione pointed to the bushes they had been hiding behind only a few minutes earlier.

"She's missing," she said, looking deeply concerned. Ron and Harry had already taken off into the woods. Draco raced off after them, his heart suddenly racing madly. She wouldn't just leave like that, would she?

"NOOOO!"

Ginny's blood-curdling scream cut straight into him and he shot off towards the river like a bat out of hell, desperate to get to her… desperate to see if she was alive…

"MALFOY!"

Ron and Harry had gotten there only moments before he did and were staring in horror at Draco's father, who was standing over Ginny's pale, limp, bleeding form, submerged partially in the river. When Lucius caught sight of his son, he smirked and winked before disappearing in a flash of blue light. Ron was the first to reach Ginny's body, followed closely by Harry. Draco just stood there at the edge of the forest, his eyes on the spot his father had occupied only moments before… he couldn't hear what the two boys were saying nor did he see when the others appeared, either running to Ginny's side or standing by his, watching him carefully. He didn't even hear the cracks of people apparating into the vicinity. He did, however, feel himself being tugged back into the woods.

"We need to get out of here," he heard Valance hiss as Goyle tugged him along. "The Ministry is here!"

The moment Draco heard 'The Ministry' he was brought back to reality. He blinked and without saying a word, took off into the woods, followed closely by his faithful Slytherins. All the while, he tried to be rid of Ginny's screams that echoed louder and louder in his mind as he ran further into the forest.

**A/N: Oooooohhhhhh boy! This isn't good!**


	16. Switch

_The worst lies are the lies we tell ourselves. We live in denial of what we do, even what we think. We do this because we're afraid._ **-RICHARD BACH**

* * *

"How could this happen? How could you let this happen to her?"

"We're still looking into the attacks."

"There shouldn't have been _any_ attacks! Twenty students are _dead_! And _no one_ knows what's wrong with my daughter!"

"Molly, you need to calm down. They're doing the best they can."

"Don't you tell me to calm down, Arthur! Ginny could be dead!"

"Molly, please-"

"Who attacked the students?"

"We don't know for sure, but we have one person in Dumbledore's office being interrogated by the Ministry officials, but further than that, we can't tell you, Molly."

This is all they could hear before the adults moved off away from the hospital room door. Ron glanced over at his brothers, who were also gathered in the private room around Ginny's bed. Harry and Hermione were standing over at the side, not wanting to interfere with the Weasley brothers, some of whom looked just as angry as their outspoken mother. Perhaps even more.

"Why would she chase after Lucius Malfoy?" Bill muttered darkly for the hundredth time.

"She probably didn't know it was him," Ron responded quietly, straining to hear anything else from outside. Percy glanced over at his brother.

"Didn't you say that you told her to stay where she was?"

Ron rolled his eyes.

"Like Ginny ever listens to me."

They fell into a tense silence, all eyes falling on Ginny's prone form underneath the sterile white sheets. Though the Healers had managed to stop the bleeding from the multiple wounds that had appeared on her body, they had not been able to wake her up from whatever deep unconsciousness she happened to be in.

"_Malfoy used some form of Dark Arts magic on her. We don't know what to do"_, the Healer had told them apologetically only a few hours earlier.

"You guys never told us what _exactly_ you were doing that far away from Hogwarts anyway," Fred suddenly said, turning his attention away from his sister to Ron, Hermione and Harry.

"Well?" George added, looking curious as well.

All three looked at each other, as if trying to get their stories straight silently before Hermione spoke.

"We were chased off the cliff down into the river," she answered calmly.

"That doesn't explain Ginny running into Malfoy," Charlie said.

Hermione bit her lip and glanced over at Ron, who was giving her a funny look.

"Malfoy was the only one who knew the way out."

"_Draco_ Malfoy?" Percy asked incredulously.

Hermione nodded slowly, feeling Harry stiffen beside her.

"He was leading the way when we ran into the camp where they were keeping Blaise Zabini. We… we told Ginny to wait and when we came back to get her she was gone," she finished lamely, finding it hard to come up with a better story. The older Weasley men seemed to notice and their frowns deepened.

"Wasn't Luna Lovegood with you?" Fred asked.

"Yes."

"Then why didn't she wait with Ginny?" George finished.

It was there that Hermione suddenly lost her ability to come up with a reasonable excuse to explain why Draco Malfoy wanted to protect Ginny.

Thankfully, she didn't have to.

At that particular moment, Remus Lupin took the chance to come into the room. They all turned to see him. His eyes traveled briefly to Ginny before he motioned to Hermione, Ron and Harry.

"It's time for you three to get back to Hogwarts," he whispered. "I'll escort you back."

"Anything new about Ginny?" Ron asked eagerly.

Remus shook his head sadly.

"Nothing yet. Malfoy knew what he was doing when he cursed her. She's not going anywhere anytime soon," he told them all before motioning again for the three to come. "We really need to get going. The Ministry of Magic is going to shut down all transportation to Hogwarts in twenty minutes and we need to get you three back."

Ron glanced over at his brothers before standing up reluctantly and following Harry and Hermione out the door.

* * *

Draco, despite the seriousness of the situation, could not help but be a bit amused by the antics of the officials that the Ministry had sent into Dumbledore's office to interview him. Even Dumbledore, who was sitting off to the side to observe, seemed to find Draco's responses a bit humorous.

Draco looked up from his muddy shoes to see an official enter with a file in hand.

"Ah, Edwards," Draco drawled coolly, watching as the man sat down opposite him at the table and set down the file. "Are you here to ask me the same questions the other three dolts asked?"

Edwards eyes darted hatefully up at the young man before he focused on the file in front of him.

"I'd watch my tongue if I were you, Malfoy. You're in deep shit," he said grimly. Draco chuckled.

"That's interesting coming from a man who's soon-to-be ex-wife keeps shoving all sorts of _shit_ in your face," Draco responded, his smirk not reaching is impassive grey eyes. He could see Edwards clench his jaw as he straightened in his seat. He took out a few photos and pushed them in front of Draco.

"We found Carter," Edwards said, watching Draco as the blonde glanced over the pictures of the scorched woman's body.

"Pity. She was much more beautiful before," he said.

"We know you were with her when she died."

"Now how would you know that?" Draco asked, meeting the man's intense eyes.

"You have a trademark, Draco. The torture wounds on her body are the same as all your other torture victims before they died."

Draco leaned back in his chair and folded his hands over his stomach, tilting his head to the side.

"You couldn't be talking about me, Edwards. Because, if I remember correctly, I was ruled 'not guilty' for those murders," he said coolly.

Edwards rolled his eyes in exasperation.

"Don't pull that shit with me, Malfoy. I know you were with her and you know I know. Tell me what she told you before you killed her," he demanded.

Draco smirked at the man and looked over at the portraits of past Headmasters on the wall, each of them watching the interrogation fixedly.

"I'm beginning to see why your wife is leaving you," he said.

"Don't turn this on me-"

"Tell me something, Edwards, was it the sex or the job that turned her off?"

Edwards kicked back his chair and stood up aggressively, pulling out his wand.

"Son of a-"

"Mr. Edwards," Dumbledore cut in quickly, standing up and moving over to the outraged man. "I believe this interview is over."

Edwards glanced over at the old man before leaving in a fury, slamming the door behind him. Draco picked up the pictures on the table and glanced down at them.

"He forgot his photos," he muttered.

"You should cooperate with the Ministry, Draco. It is the only way to clear your name," Dumbledore said, sitting down slowly at his own desk and fixing his bright blue eyes on the young man. Draco met the man's eyes and raised an eyebrow.

"The Malfoy name will never be clear, no matter what I or anyone else does," he murmured.

"Ginny seems to think otherwise."

Dumbledore watched Draco stiffen visibly and his fists curl. He was surprised when Draco began to mutter darkly under his breath about his bloody father.

"She's at Mungos?" Draco asked quietly.

Dumbledore nodded.

"Yes she is. She's out of critical care, but they can't wake her up. Your father used Dark magic," he told the Slytherin.

"Of course they can't wake her up, the tossers," Draco muttered. He went on to grumble about Healers and monkeys. Dumbledore could not help but smile.

"You care about her."

"I don't give a damn."

"Your actions of late seem to prove otherwise."

"And what would you know about my _actions of late_?"

"Only what Severus, Frederick, Gregory, and Colin have been telling me."

"Bloody turncoats."

"So you _do_ care about her."

To that, Draco had no answer. He sat there for a moment, his face growing visibly paler as, for the first time since he was a little boy, he felt true fear begin to creep back into him.

_You care about her_…

Whether or not it was a true statement, Draco did not want to know. Either way, Draco had a feeling that this would not be the last time his father paid a visit to Hogwarts before Christmas.

"She's a Weasley," he heard himself saying.

Dumbledore watched the blonde for a moment before speaking.

"This is why I wonder why you protected her in the woods, when you were so willing to let the others charge into a camp full of Slytherins."

* * *

"Do you think she'll be okay?" Ron asked as they walked down the silent corridors of Hogwarts, surrounded by five Aurors who had been 'screened, interrogated and 'pressured'' before allowed to return to the Ministry and follow Moody's orders.

Hermione took Ron's hand in hers and gave it a comforting squeeze.

"They'll find a way to wake her up," she whispered. Ron frowned.

"Why was Malfoy even _there_?"

Harry frowned as well.

"He must have known that his son would be looking for Zabini," he muttered.

Ron shook his head.

"But it doesn't make any sense. He could have killed us all. He could have killed Ginny while we weren't looking. Why didn't he?"

"Because he wanted to send a message to Dumbledore."

They all turned to see Draco standing there, surrounded by at least ten Aurors, led by a Ministry official who looked extremely pissed. Hermione bit her lip.

"What message?"

To this, Draco didn't answer. Instead, he walked right by them with his escort and disappeared around the corner. Harry glanced over at his two friends, frowning.

"What message?"

* * *

It was nine days since the attacks and things had not gone well.

The Slytherin house was now completely torn. Those who were loyal to Warrington and those sworn to Draco were now finding any excuse to make the others' lives miserable. Though Draco, who had been forced to change the password to his Head Boy's dormitory several times, had not been touched, those closest to him, except Blaise, who also had avoided being harmed, were appearing at breakfast and dinner with large bruises on their faces. Though they refused to give a reason for these hideous appearances to professors, it became painfully obvious that Draco was the worse person to mess with at this particular moment in time.

Only three days after the attacks and ten of Warrington's people, including a bold second year girl who Draco had a slight respect for, were in the Hospital Wing with injuries that shocked Pomfrey. None of them were capable of telling the nurse what had happened to them, though.

The Ministry, who had done a complete overhaul of the Aurors based at Hogwarts, had sent in their stead, Ministry officials who were to patrol the halls occasionally and sit in on classes. The students were once again restricted to staying inside. Two students had already been expelled for trying to sneak out.

The biggest nuisance was the constant watch of Draco Malfoy. For every class he attended, the official count doubled, or in cases of the DADA classes, tripled.

What was worse, it was becoming more obvious that not only the Slytherins were to be feared. Three Hufflepuffs and a Ravenclaw boy had been sent to St. Mungos, for using dark magic in a failed attempt to attack Draco Malfoy. They would be in the permanent ward until further notice.

The only good thing about this was that the Gryffindors were no longer being badgered by Slytherins, who had better things to do.

Not that it made much of a difference.

The vacant seat at breakfast, lunch and dinner was a constant reminder, especially to a very irritable Ron, that this still wasn't over.

Even after Dumbledore had suggested to the Weasley family that they let Draco Malfoy see Ginny, who seemed to be the only one who knew what was wrong with her, the idea had been immediately rejected by the Ministry of Magic, who still believed that Draco had something to do with the Halloween Ball attacks. They were not about to let him come close to Ginny. That didn't sit well with Draco, who had become much more aggressive. The only people who knew why were Harry, Ron and Hermione. They remained silent on the issue.

"Post," Neville said, eyes on the steady flow of owls coming through an open window. Ron's tiny owl, Pig, came fluttering over to him and dropped a letter onto his plate of eggs, twittering disapprovingly when he shoved the poor bird out of the way.

"Bloody owl," he muttered, pulling the letter out of his breakfast.

"Who's it from?" Harry asked, looking up from his own breakfast. Ron frowned.

"The twins," he replied, opening it quickly and reading the words eagerly. Hermione bit her lip when she saw his face pale as his eyes scanned the letter.

"What is it?" she asked worriedly, touching his arm. He didn't reply. "Ron, what's wrong?"

He was silent for a moment.

"Ginny's getting worse…"

It seemed as if the entire Gryffindor table had heard him because they all suddenly became quiet. Those closest to Ron watched him carefully, afraid of what he might do with this piece of information.

The letter fell from his hands and he stood up, taking a shaky breath.

"Ron-"

He cut Hermione off with a dark look before he left the Great Hall quietly. Hermione looked torn between going off after him to make sure he didn't do anything harmful and staying where she was and leaving him alone. Her eyes met Harry's and he shook his head. Her frown deepened and she turned away from the door, staring tearfully down at the bowl of fruit in front of her.

"I can't believe the Ministry is doing this," she whispered. "He could help."

"He's too dangerous," Harry muttered.

Hermione's eyes snapped up to meet Harry's green ones.

"You know as well as I do that he's the only one who can help Ginny," she hissed.

"That doesn't mean I have to like him," he retorted angrily.

Hermione bit her lip and looked down at her hands.

"I really don't think that matters right now, Harry."

* * *

Draco looked up from his essay to see Rayne come down from his bedroom, clutching her stuffed snake in one arm.

"Did you sleep okay?" he asked quietly as she sat down on the couch beside him. She shook her head.

"I dreamt that Ginny was being hurt," she said, her eyes filled with fear. Draco's eyes clouded and his mind flashed with the image of Ginny's limp body beneath his father's cruel, dancing eyes. He shook himself mentally and looked down at the little redheaded girl. She reminded him so much of Ginny that it was painful… except for the eyes… Rayne's eyes were always curious… or fearful… Ginny's eyes were always… laughing…

"Why hasn't Ginny come?" Rayne asked him.

Draco turned back to his essay, not wanting her to see the storm that was raging inside of him.

"She's busy," he muttered.

"Doing what?"

"Studying."

"Why?"

"Because."

"But why?"

"Because she has to."

"But-"

"Rayne, not again," he snapped, shooting her a dark look. She fell into a fearful silence and they sat there, Draco lost in his own torment and Rayne worrying for the young man she had come to see as her brother.

"_You're not enjoying this?"_

_Ginny couldn't help but smile. _

"_Of course I am," she whispered, her lips a hairsbreadth from his. "But I…" He kissed her seductively. She pulled away and took a deep breath. "I don't…" He kissed her again. "I don't want to get too carried away…"_

_Draco grinned._

"_Well, it's a bit late for that," he muttered before kissing her again._

Draco closed his eyes and leaned his head back into the soft cushions, taking a deep breath.

In past years, past escapades with girls would not have lingered on in his memory. Ever since fourth year, he had stopped trying to remember their names… their faces… Ever since fifth year, he stopped bothering to feign interest in anything else but the sex… not that it troubled most girls. To them, he was their one night of fame. To him, they were just something to fill up the empty spaces and the cold spot next to him… if only for a few hours…

Now… all he could think about was her beautiful brown eyes… her flaming red hair and tempting pink lips… and even though he would never admit it, he missed the conversation… the witty repartee they would have in between the kisses that still aroused every nerve in his being…

"_Good… now let's practice being enemies for the sake of our Houses and my brother," she said. _

_Draco smirked, kissing her quickly. _

"_That's going to be hard when I'm thinking about yesterday… before Warrington arrived," he added, his eyes growing dark for a moment. Ginny shrugged. _

"_Well, you'll just have to. Besides… you're good at that sort of thing."_

"_What?"_

"_Being a pratish arse."_

_Draco pulled her to him, smiling. _

"_You're impossible." _

"Damn it," he swore fiercely. He felt Rayne flinch beside him and cursed himself inwardly for being so angry in front of her. He didn't need her to become what his own father had made him. Accustomed to the inhuman, calculating and violent world Draco had been forced into the moment he had been born. He didn't want her to see what he really was…

_Ginny's seen who you really are_, a nasty voice in his head sneered.

Ginny had been around Harry Potter for the past six years or so… she wasn't as innocent as the Hogwarts population made her out to be…

But Rayne had a chance to grow up in a world without the cruelty…

Draco sighed and looked back down at his essay.

He wasn't a very good example of that world.

"Will she back?" Rayne finally asked.

Draco looked down at her.

"Yes."

"I like her. She's really nice."

Draco sighed and ran his hands through his hair.

"Yeah…"

"Do you like her?"

"Yes."

"Do you love her?"

Draco was silent for a moment before he turned to see her watching him closely. He couldn't help but be proud of her. She had learned that watching people's actions was a better way of getting information before asking questions. He leaned in and kissed her on the forehead.

"Yes," he whispered. "But don't tell anyone that."

Rayne grinned, happy that he had told her something secret.

"I won't."

* * *

Narcissa moved past silent portraits on the cold walls of Malfoy Manor as she looked for her husband. She found him standing in the large study, staring into the fire.

"Lucius," she whispered.

"What is it?" he growled.

She walked over to him.

"I just received word that you're planning something for Hogwarts… _again_," she hissed.

Lucius turned to her, a smirk on his face.

"The Ministry has Draco watched twenty-four, seven. I can't get to him from out here," he whispered.

She raised an eyebrow.

"So you're going to smoke him out?" she asked incredulously.

Lucius turned back to the fire.

"Dumbledore can't afford any more accidents at Hogwarts," he whispered.

"Warrington?"

Her husband's eyes flashed dangerously.

"He has one more chance to prove himself. If he can't get this right then I'll deal with him personally," he snarled.

"What about Weasley?"

Lucius stiffened, the new information that he had learned about his son still swimming through his mind. He had not told anyone else about what he had learned… not yet anyway…

"I've dealt with her before. I can do it again."

* * *

After Draco had put Rayne to bed, he went back to his own bedroom and stood there for a moment, thankful for a moment's peace to finally think about what had happened in the woods before Ginny had entered the picture.

"_Something about Christmas… He's been planning something for Christmas… Something to do with your last memory of Christmas at Malfoy Manor…"_

Last Christmas…

For a moment he tried to rack his brain for information until he remembered…

Lucius.

Draco looked over to the corner of his room and went to the pensive, taking out his wand and dipping it into the silvery substance.

Draco knew that Lucius telling Carter about that memory had not been a mistake. Even betraying Aurors had their purpose, even if they had absolutely no idea what that was. Lucius knew that Draco would figure it out eventually. He always did.

Suddenly images of a screaming mother and sobbing child filled the basin as the pleading cries of a familiar man begged for it to stop.

Draco pulled the silver strand out of the basin and tapped the tip of the wand to his head, breathing deeply as the memory entered his mind.

It was then that a cold fear flooded him as the memory bombarded him with images of a future that was much closer than Draco would have liked.

The future would repeat itself… that was his father's warning… the future would repeat itself…

His father knew…

**A/N: Dun! DUN! DUNNNN!!**


	17. No Time Like the Present

_Hope is the worst of evils, for it prolongs the torments of man_. **-Friedrich Nietzsche**

* * *

When Draco was six years old, he had witnessed his first murder.

His father, who had been a very busy man post-Voldemort, was in a very foul mood and things were going from bad to worse as the day progressed.

Draco remembered that day very well.

His mother had taken him out early to Diagon Alley to get some new robes for a party they were hosting a couple days from then. They had run into the Weasleys at the shop. Narcissa had taken his hand and told him in no uncertain terms was he to speak to the redheaded blood traitors. He obeyed. He stood there with the dress robes on, glaring dutifully at a wide-eyed Ron Weasley, who seemed to have no idea who he was. No surprise there.

His mother and Ron's mother had shared a few words, but it wasn't until Mr. Weasley and a very cute five-year old girl came into the shop that Draco finally spoke up. He remembered his words clearly.

"_She's_ a mudblood lover?" he had asked in amazement, shocked that such an adorable girl could be capable of such a horrendous crime.

Ron, who did not yet know the meaning of the word, only stared at Draco as if he were a curious magical creature while the redheaded matriarch glared at him and his mother in outrage. She had said a few things about raising Draco wrong and that Malfoys had no sense of moral values.

After a very heated argument, Narcissa left with Draco, telling him that if she ever caught him ogling that little redheaded gutter slut again, there would be serious consequences.

"Okay, mother," he had responded obediently, immediately forcing the picture of Ginny Weasley out of his mind.

The rest of his morning and afternoon had past uneventfully. His mother had dropped him off at home and left to visit his Aunt Bella, who at the time he had believed was in the permanent ward at St. Mungos. It wasn't until he had come to Hogwarts that he found out the truth about Neville Longbottom and his screwed up parents.

Then his father came home.

He wasn't alone when he did either. There were three other men who walked through the tall marble pillars that held up Malfoy Manors. Two of them Draco had recognized to be Pansy's father and Goyle's father. The third didn't look happy to be dragged through the large mahogany doors.

"Go to your room, Draco."

This is what his father had ordered him to do the moment he saw his son walk out of the living room.

For some reason, Draco had not obeyed his father that time. It would be the end of his innocence.

He had snuck down the secret staircase at the back of his room and went to the basement where his father carried out many of his so-called 'interrogations for the Ministry'. The door had been left cracked open and he was able to see everything that happened from where he stood by the bottom of the stairs.

Draco didn't remember much of what was said in the moments before the green flash, but he did remember the look in his father's eyes before it happened. The pure indifference as the stricken man fell limp where he had been standing, eyes wide with a momentary realization.

Of course, Draco had screamed… who wouldn't when you saw your father kill a man…

What had happened after that was a blur. Draco barely remembered if he had been punished for disobeying Lucius.

All that Draco did remember was that he witnessed murder much more frequently. After fourth year, it became a daily occurrence. When Bellatrix came home though, Draco was not only subjected to his father's much more formal, ritualistic way of doing things, but his aunt's nasty habit of playing with her victims minds. Draco personally thought that that way was a waste of time. A quick, excruciating torment worked just as well if you knew the right curses.

And the Malfoys knew a lot of curses. During the War, his father developed several and had, on occasion, allowed Draco to try them out on his fellow Slytherins.

This is how Draco came to know just what was wrong with Ginny.

This is also how he found himself in the waiting room of St. Mungos, being watched by at least fifteen Aurors as well as the entire Weasley family, save Ginny. Harry and Hermione had been forced to stay back at Hogwarts. This was a family matter.

"Why the bloody hell is _he_ the only one who can help?" Fred and George asked for the tenth time since Draco had arrived.

"What's more important, what makes you think he's _going_ to help?" Bill asked. "Malfoys _never_ do anything for free."

Mr. Weasley pointed over to where Draco was sitting, listening lazily to an official who was trying to explain Draco's options.

"I think they're giving him reasons."

* * *

"Mr. Malfoy, are you listening to me?"

"Sure thing, Dick."

"Official Richard Landis to you, boy."

"I'm sorry, were you saying something?"

The official sighed in frustration and handed Draco a file.

"You know exactly what is wrong with Ginerva Weasley."

"So?"

"She's dying."

"_And_?"

Landis frowned.

_Was this boy so far removed from humanity?_

"You have a chance to save her," he said.

Draco raised an eyebrow.

"Do I have a scar on my head?"

"No, but you have a string of murders tied to you," Landis countered.

Draco straightened in his seat and looked mockingly surprised.

"Oh I'm sorry. Are those the murders that you have no witnesses for and _absolutely_ no evidence to pin me to them? Because if you're talking about them, them I'm positive that I've been cleared of all charges."

"You'll be granted more freedoms at Hogwarts," Landis continued, trying desperately to fight the urge to hex the young man in front of him. Draco sneered.

"Taking away a couple of guards does not equate to more freedoms, you prick," he growled. He then seemed to remember something and leaned back in his chair. "Besides Edwards, what would _possibly_ give me the incentive to help a Weasley?"

Ron, who had been listening to the whole conversation from his spot by a wall, was starting to grow irritated. He knew Draco was trying to come off as if he didn't care about Ginny's safety, but this was getting annoying. His sarcastic remarks and alluding comments weren't helping Ginny.

Landis, however, who had been just been given a letter from a nearby Auror, looked as if Christmas had come early. A grin appeared on his face.

"It seems that you're harboring a fugitive, Malfoy," he said. "I'm sure your _father_ wouldn't like to find out that you're the one keeping Ranye Trevorton."

There was a short pause in which everyone saw what little color Draco had in his face drain away and his jaw clench tightly. His unaffected grey eyes stared straight at Landis, boring into the man's soul as he sat there in quick contemplation. He then leaned forward in his chair towards Landis, but froze when he noticed some Aurors pulling out their wands. He sized them up for a moment before turning back to Landis, who had actually risen slightly in his seat. Draco eyed Landis for a moment before straightening up and standing slowly.

"Does your wife know that your secretary is having your child, Dick?" he asked quietly before moving over to where Ginny's Healer stood with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. "Now where is your _lovely_ daughter?" he asked mockingly, earning him several nasty looks from every single Weasley except for Ron, who just looked relieved.

Mrs. Weasley frowned at Draco.

"If I was your mother-"

"You wouldn't finish that sentence," Draco growled, his eyes darkening even more at the mention of Narcissa. Mr. Weasley took a step forward.

"Don't you dare-"

"If you'd like me to help bring your daughter back to the land of the red-haired buffoons, then I suggest _you_ not finish that sentence," Draco snapped, turning his glare onto the patriarch, who was stunned by the young man's complete disregard for elders. When Draco was satisfied, he turned to Mrs. Weasley.

"I'll need a member of your… _brood_," he said, glancing over at the six men glaring at him from behind their parents. "Preferably not that Ministry git with the glasses."

"Why do you need one of my sons?"

Draco sighed.

"This would go much faster if you didn't ask stupid questions," he snapped impatiently, eager to see how bad Ginny really was. Ron, who had a feeling Draco's rudeness had nothing to do with his mother, stepped forward quickly, touching his mother's arm carefully.

"I'll go, mum. Make sure the prick doesn't do anything bad to her," he said quietly. The others didn't look to happy about the circumstances.

Draco glanced over at Ron before he turned to Landis, who still looked shocked at Draco's very threatening question.

"I'll need my wand and two vials of blood replenishers," he said expectantly.

After a moment of silence, Draco was given what he had ordered. Landis glanced over at the Mr. Weasley, who was now speaking to another Ministry official. The patriarch didn't look too happy. Draco raised an eyebrow.

"When will I get her back?" he asked quietly.

"Two days."

Draco could feel a surge of rage flood through him, but rather than curse the man in front of him, he just smirked.

"I'll make sure to get that letter to your wife before then," he said and soon, he and Ron were being led down a hall to Ginny's private room.

"Brace yourself," Ron muttered right when the door opened. Draco smirked at the comment, knowing fully well how bad the curse could be.

It was quiet when they entered, which was a good thing, considering. Draco's eyes immediately fell on Ginny's limp body and somehow, even though he had been expecting it, Ginny's appearance paralyzed him for a moment.

Her face and arms were now covered in black blotches where her veins were beginning to tear and leak blood. There was a pained look on her face, but her eyes were closed so he knew she was still unconscious.

His mind flashed to a different memory of similar circumstances… only she wasn't unconscious…

"Bloody hell," Ron muttered, going over to his sister's side and taking her hand. "What happened to her?"

Draco glanced over at Ron then placed the vials of blood replenishers on the small table near Ginny's bed.

"Nothing," he muttered.

Ron shot him a nasty look and he pointed at Ginny.

"Nothing?"

Draco shook his head.

"Trust me, Weasley. This isn't the worse that could have happened," he told the redhead, pulling out his wand and pointing it to Ginny. Ron moved quickly and soon the two had their wands pointed at each others' throats. Draco raised an eyebrow.

"Well, to be quite honest, Weasley, I wasn't expecting this," he said coolly and Ron glared at him.

"Listen to me, Malfoy and listen good," he growled. "I don't give a rat's arse if she likes you or not. You try anything funny and I'll show you a curse Harry and I developed to teach raping scum a lesson," he said as he moved his wand down to Draco's pants.

Draco took a quick breath and smirked.

"I'm not interested in running away, Weasley," he said. "So keep your knickers on."

"You do the same," Ron grumbled under his breath and Draco couldn't help but smile. Ron may be a gigantic, loud, untalented oaf, but he still had some of Ginny's qualities.

"Here we go," Draco said, pointing his wand back to Ginny. He then motioned for Ron to go over to Ginny. "You're going to need to hold her down."

"Hold her down?" Ron repeated, sounding worried. Draco rolled his eyes.

"She's not necessarily the _easiest_ person to wake up, if you hadn't noticed already," he said.

Ron's eyes widened.

"How the bloody hell would you know _anything_ about waking Ginny up?"

Draco sighed.

"Let's wake her up now and argue about how I _know_ about waking her up _later_," he growled. "Ready?"

"Just do it," Ron snapped, hating to see his sister like this any more. Draco muttered something under his breath and Ginny's chest suddenly began to move fast as she breathed quickly. A light blue jet shot out of Draco's wand and struck Ginny straight in the heart. She began to convulse violently. Ron grabbed her arms and tried to hold her down as she seized.

Draco went to the other side of Ginny's bed and grabbed the first vial he had been given.

"Open her mouth," Draco ordered briskly and Ron did so, with a bit of difficulty.

"NOOOO!"

Ginny's screams ripped through the entire hospital the moment Ron pried her mouth open. Draco, ignoring the tormented cries, hastily poured the dark liquid down her throat and soon all that could be heard were her strangled wailing as the two held her down.

"What now-"

Suddenly Ginny rolled over on her stomach and began heaving up copious amounts of blood and vomit onto the floor. Ron backed up out of the way quickly, watching as she cried and retched at the same time.

"That's disgusting," Draco muttered, looking away as she continued to throw up.

Finally, after about ten minutes, the heaving noises stopped and Draco turned back to see her lying on her back, shaking like a leaf in bed. She was completely pale. Draco lunged for the other vial of replenishers, opened her chattering mouth and emptied it down her throat. She coughed a bit then began to tremble again, but color was beginning to return to her face. Ron, who was busy cleaning up the mess she had made on the floor, looked up in time to catch Draco pull the covers over Ginny's shoulders and touch her face gently. The look on his face was something that surprised Ron. He looked almost… guilty?

"My mum'll be here in a moment," Ron muttered, catching Draco's eyes. Draco held the gaze for a moment before he looked back down at Ginny, who was trying to get warm under the covers.

"She'll need blood replenishers every five hours until Christmas," he murmured before moving over to the door. Just as he was about to leave, Ron stopped him.

"Oy, Malfoy!"

Draco glanced over his shoulder.

"What, Weasley?" he asked impatiently.

Ron frowned, but watched Draco carefully.

"Thank you… for saving her again."

Draco left without answering.

* * *

"How did it go?"

Draco looked up from dusting himself off to see Snape standing near Dumbledore's desk, watching him closely. Five Aurors were standing by the door, eyes on Draco. Draco straightened up and shoved his fists into his robe pockets.

"Where are they keeping Rayne?" he asked calmly.

Snape's eyes darkened for a moment before he started for the door, motioning for Draco to follow. Draco walked closely behind the Head of Slytherin as they headed down the stairs and up the corridor towards the Great Hall. The Aurors were on either side of the two, watching Draco carefully.

"The Ministry had your room searched after you left for Mungos," Snape told him quietly, glancing occasionally over at the Aurors. "They found Rayne before I could get to her."

"Where are they keeping her?" Draco asked again, not really caring how they found the little girl. Snape's eyes flashed over at Draco for a moment before he looked straight ahead.

"She's being kept in a secure facility, Draco," he whispered.

Draco stopped suddenly and waited until Snape turned to face him.

"Where is she, Severus?" he growled through gritted teeth.

Snape watched the young man for a while before he glanced over at a few nosy portraits who had suddenly taken an interest in the suit of armor near by.

"She's been given to the Minister for a couple of days."

There was a brief pause in the hall in which all color drained from Draco's face. The Ministry of Magic had just decided to dick with him and place the one person, besides Ginny, he had not tortured to keep his secrets with a man who he not only despised only _slightly_ less than his father, but a man who had tried so hard to get Draco into Azkaban during the War, Draco could almost feel the coldness of the Dementors on him now. And judging by what he knew about the Minister, he would try to use his 'kindness' towards her and his bloody diplomacy to extract information from her. The thing that bothered him most was if she would be with him for more than a few hours. Draco wasn't an idiot. The Minister was notorious for using less than legal methods of getting out information from people within his own home. She would be singing to him soon if not already.

"The Minister?"

"Yes," Snape responded, watching Draco carefully. The Slytherin stood there for a moment longer before he began to move briskly towards the Great Hall.

"He'll destroy her," he muttered under his breath, knowing that Snape knew what he was talking about. Snape shook his head.

"Dumbledore placed a charm on her so that she won't talk to anyone about anything related to you in the slightest."

"The Minister knows about this?"

"No."

"Good."

They walked on in silence for a while before Snape glanced over at Draco again.

"What are you going to tell them?"

"About Weasley?"

"No, about us."

Draco, however, didn't laugh. He was actually contemplating telling Snape about how his father already knew about Ginny… _that_ would have been funny…

"If I'm lucky, I won't have to tell those snakes anything. Her oaf of a brother, the Mudblood and Potter will do all the explaining for me," he muttered, choosing not to reveal that piece of information just yet. If no one knew that meant that Lucius wasn't too eager to spill the beans as well, which meant that his father wasn't too sure that his relationship with Ginny was real. Lucius liked absolutes… that's how he caused pain…

"You expect them to speak on your behalf?"

"No," Draco responded tersely, glancing behind him quickly before continuing. "I expect them to lie."

**A/N: So Draco does something nice and everyone else has it in for him. **

**dristi:** Enjoy!

**jenna:** I post when I post. As for where Rayne sleeps. Rayne sleeps where ever she won't be found. Snape's room. Draco's room. She's moved around so much that I just don't bother marking down a specific area. Where ever's safest.

**nextbestthing:** It'll explain itself later.

**PhoenixTalons:** Thank you so much!

**hpfreaklol:** I hope you like this one.

**MeggyandHaku:** I'll try to update as quickly as possible, but with school starting, that won't be as easy as it used to be.

**tamara72:** Well, so far the Golden Trio don't like Draco enough to help him see her secretly. Ron's starting to accept it. Hermione's accepted it fully and Harry wants nothing better than to blast Draco into next week. But I don't think that they're all willing to help him. As for Blaise and Luna, there is at least one reunion that I'm aware of as of yet. I've written up to Chapter 24, and I've been tweaking the other chapters, starting at 20, so I haven't gotten farther than that.

**Okay, I have to say this just for the sake of my readers as well as myself. I already know what's going to happen and I know some of you _think_ you know whats' going to happen. So as of now, with all of the "phrase questions" that some of you have been asking, I would now like to ask all of you to keep plot questions to either private messages or just don't ask at all. I'd hate for someone to give it away, if you happen to be right. Now, by "phrase question" I mean, "What does 'the future will repeat itself' mean?" for example. Those are questions that I can't answer because it'll give away the entire thing. I like to leave you people confused for as long as possible until I lift the veil and then you all are like, "Whoa! That totally makes sense!" Until then, please no more "phrase questions". **

**And now that all of you are completely confused as to what the hell I'm talking about, please Read, Enjoy and then Review!**


	18. Back to the Basics

_Infantile love follows the principle: "I love because I am loved.  
Mature love follows the principle: "I am loved because I love.  
Immature love says: "I love you because I need you.  
Mature love says: "I need you because I love you._

**-Erich Fromm**

* * *

It was two weeks before Ginny was released from St. Mungos and an extra week before she was allowed back to Hogwarts. Mrs. Weasley was still worried about her. For those eleven days in which she was healed and released, Draco had an interesting time at Hogwarts. Ron, who had been telling people very disturbing reasons as to why Draco had helped Ginny, surprised and impressed Draco by picking a fight with the Slytherin when they past in the hall one of the days. The fight, which landed the two in the Hospital wing for two days, left no doubt in everyone's mind, except perhaps Warrington's, that Draco had alternate reasons for bringing the youngest Weasley back to the living.

Ginny, upon being able to speak, had not said much of anything except ask about Hogwarts.

But even though she was getting better, she wasn't allowed many visitors for security reasons. The Ministry wasn't even allowing them to send information to Ron, who in turn could not give any information to Draco. This frustrated both of them.

The only thing that kept Draco from taking out all of his frustration on the people around him was that Rayne had been secretly returned to him. The little girl was ecstatic to see him and told him all about the Minister and his four wives. Draco just smiled and jotted down the names of the three women whose last names did not end like the Minister's.

The one good thing that had happened over the past few days was that Dumbledore, after many meetings with officials from the Ministry, had managed to allow students back outside for classes. This greatly pleased Professor Sprout and Hagrid who had been forced to sit around and teach from books for the past few weeks. Quiddich, unfortunately, was still banned until they could figure out how the Dementors actually got back to Hogwarts. Until then, the students were just happy to be outside, if only for the few minutes between classes.

The Auror guard had also been removed, much to Draco's great pleasure. The students were now allowed to walk around the castle without being followed by the intimidating figures.

Draco was now sitting at breakfast with Blaise and Rockwell on either side of him and Valance and Goyle opposite him. Pansy was a few seats down, looking thoroughly upset after Draco ignored her completely then told her that she couldn't sit with him. Draco rolled his eyes at the young woman's antics but didn't say a thing, poking at the food in front of him. That little house elf must be sick because what was on his plate did not look like food.

"GINNY!"

Draco's head along with just about every other person in the Great Hall shot up and stared at the entrance to see Ginny standing at the doors, grinning brightly. She wasn't in uniform like the rest of them, which suggested that she had just arrived. She looked beautiful and happy and the only evidence of her attack was scar that ran down her neck and disappeared under her shirt.

She ran down the isle and hugged her brother tightly before she hugged Harry who was standing right beside Ron. She sat down right between them with her back to Draco and commenced to say hello to everyone at the table. Several people, many of them male Gryffindors, came up to her and Draco could only think about what they were saying to her.

_Hey Ginny, I missed you so much!_

_Wow! You look great!_

_I hope you feel better!_

_Did that ass of a Slytherin do anything to you?_

Draco caught Blaise's knowing look and smirked.

"It's nice to have the princess home," he muttered, making many around him snicker.

* * *

Ginny was quickly caught up to date with what was going on in Hogwarts before she turned to Ron and frowned.

"You got into a fight with him?" she asked quietly.

Ron shrugged, rubbing his shoulder unconsciously.

"It was getting boring around here," he muttered. Ginny rolled her eyes and turned to Hermione.

"Anything else that I've missed?"

Hermione shook her head.

"Not really, though now that you're here, I'm sure things will get much more interesting in the Slytherin house," she said. Ginny bit her lip and chanced a glance behind her. She immediately caught sight of Draco, who was saying something to the people around him. They all broke out into laughter and Ginny had a strange feeling Draco was talking about her. Her eyes then moved over to the opposite end of the Slytherin table where Warrington was sitting. He was speaking quietly with the people around him. Ginny turned back to Hermione.

"You don't think they suspect him do you?" she asked softly, glancing over at the people close by. Ron rolled his eyes and placed a hand on his sister's shoulder.

"You know Gin, for the next few hours, I'd like to just enjoy your company _without_ thinking about Malfoy," he said. "So can we please just stop talking about this? It's all I hear about. Malfoy this and he did this to Ginny that. Can we please just talk about something else?"

They all stared at him for a moment before Ginny smiled and nodded, leaning into him and kissing his cheek.

"Sure thing," she said before grabbing an apple and standing up.

"How about we go up to the common room? I have to go change anyway," she suggested. Ron nodded and stood up as well.

"Okay, let's go," he said.

* * *

Thanks to Dumbledore, Ron was allowed to spend the whole day with his sister. Harry and Hermione still had to go to classes. The two had spent the day just walking around and talking. They had to stop by the Hospital Wing once for Ginny's blood replenishers. The conversation they had did get to Draco, in which Ron had to admit that even though he still disliked the Slytherin, he wasn't about to get in between the two if she truly liked him. Ginny accepted the admission without adding that her feelings for Draco had changed to something much deeper over the past few weeks. Ron wasn't ready for that yet.

The two sat in the common room, laughing and playing chess when Neville, Dean and Seamus came walking in. Ron waved the three over and they sat down beside them.

"How are you feeling Ginny?" Dean asked, taking a spot next to her. He was sitting a bit too close for Ron's comfort, but the redhead said nothing as he poked his queen to smash one of Ginny's trembling pawns. Ginny shot a look over at her brother before turning to Dean.

"I'm feeling better now that I'm out of that hospital room," she said, shoving her knight forward to crush Ron's rook. "I'm glad to be back."

"We're glad you're back to, Ginny," Neville said with a smile. "It's been different with you gone."

Ginny smiled back.

"Thanks, Neville," she said before swearing. Ron was grinning as he pushed his queen forward once more.

"Check mate!"

Seamus smiled.

"Do you ever lose?"

Ron glanced over at him.

"Once, when my brother Bill taught me how to play."

"You've only lost once?"

Ron shrugged.

"Maybe a couple of times since then, but that's only because-"

"He was distracted," Hermione finished when she and Harry came walking in. She walked over to him and sat down on his lap, smiling. "By who, I don't know."

Harry rolled his eyes and sat down beside Neville.

"Ron won?"

Ginny nodded, pointing to her destroyed king.

"I don't know how he does it," she muttered. Hermione glanced down at her watch and frowned.

"Ginny, have you gone up to the Hospital Wing yet?" she asked.

Ginny shook her head and stood up.

"I went during lunch, but not since. It's almost dinner. I should go," she said, suddenly feeling the signs of weakness that came with the wearing off of the blood replenishers. Harry frowned.

"You're getting a bit pale," he commented.

Ginny looked down at her arms and frowned.

"I should probably go now," she whispered again, feeling much weaker.

"I'll take you," Dean offered.

Ginny's eyes widened for a moment before she bit her lip and shrugged, glancing over at Ron, who, though he liked Dean a lot more than Draco, looked a bit upset about the whole thing. Hermione just looked surprised and Harry rolled his eyes, remembering fifth and sixth year all too well to get involved again.

"Sure," she whispered. The two left.

As they walked down the corridors, Ginny was very aware of the fact that Dean's hand was brushing against hers and memories of their past relationship suddenly bombarded her mind as they continued to walk.

"We really missed you, Ginny," he said.

"I missed you all," she responded.

There was a short pause then he spoke again.

"_I_ really missed you, Ginny."

Ginny was silent for a moment before she offered him a small smile.

"I missed you too, Dean," she whispered.

They fell into an uncomfortable silence until they reached the Hospital Wing, where Madame Pomfrey was a little annoyed by Ginny's tardiness.

"You must be punctual when it comes to these things, Ms. Weasley. You're Healer told me about the last time you waited to take these," she said, handing Ginny two bottles of the dark liquid. Ginny sat down on one of the beds and Dean sat opposite her. Madame Pomfrey went back to her office to mark down Ginny's visit.

"What happened?" he asked.

Ginny glanced up at him before opening the first bottle.

"I passed out," she muttered before downing the entire bottle in one gulp. "It took the Healer three hours to wake me up."

"That sounds bad."

"Not as bad as hearing you speak, Thomas."

The two turned to see Draco standing at the doors alone, eyebrows raised in slight amusement. Ginny could feel her heart begin to race madly and she fought the urge to jump up and run to him. She bit her lip and glanced over at Dean. She needed to find a way to get rid of him. Dean, on the other hand, had no intention of leaving now.

"What are you doing here, Malfoy?"

Draco looked around as if he just realized where he was.

"Oh, well… I'm in the Hospital Wing, so I must be sick, Thomas."

Dean looked over him with disgust.

"Let's hope it's terminal."

Draco rolled his eyes.

"You Gryffindors aren't very imaginative are you?"

Ginny tried to hide the smile that threatened to grace her face from the remark and instead she turned to her last bottle of blood replenishers.

"Piss off, Malfoy."

"Wow, I think that was actually-"

"What's going on out here?" Madame Pomfrey demanded when she came back out of her office. When she noticed Malfoy, she frowned for a moment before glancing over to Dean and Ginny.

"Well?"

Dean sat back down beside Ginny, glaring at Draco. Ginny kept her face down so that Draco couldn't see her trying not to smile. With no response, Madame Pomfrey looked down at her watch.

"It's time for dinner. Mr. Thomas. I think you should leave," she said.

Dean frowned when the woman made no move to make Draco leave.

"What about Malfoy?"

The blonde moved over to where Madame Pomfrey was standing and touched his stomach.

"Actually, some little first year slipped something into my drink. I'm feeling a bit nauseous."

Ginny glanced over at Dean and touched his arm.

"Dean, you should go to dinner. I'll be here for a while anyway. I have to wait a couple of hours till I can eat."

"Then how will you get dinner?"

Ginny pointed over to Madame Pomfrey.

"I have permission to go down to the kitchens if I miss dinner," she explained. When he didn't move she offered a smile. "I'll be fine. This stuff just doesn't work well with food."

Dean glanced over to where Draco was standing, waiting for Pomfrey to come back.

"If he does anything-"

Ginny frowned.

"Dean we're not dating," she snapped. "You don't have to be all protective of me. It's just Malfoy and we _are_ in the Hospital wing. I doubt he'll do anything here."

Dean looked surprised by her outburst but nodded and left quickly, shooting a dirty look over to Draco before he disappeared out the doors. Draco continued to stand by Pomfrey's door, ignoring the fact that they were now alone. Ginny watched as Pomfrey came back out with a bottle in her hand.

"Drink this and sit over there," she said, pointing a bed a few spaces down from hers. Her eyes then went over to Ginny, knowing that the Slytherin's visit had more to do with her and less to do with his stomach. "And please try not to overexert yourself, Ms. Weasley," she added, shooting a particularly pointed look at Draco. With that, she went back into her office. Draco smirked and walked over to the bed pointed out. Ginny watched him sit down and drink what was given him. He gave no hint of noticing her so she decided to begin.

"Are you sure something was slipped into your drink?" she asked curiously. Draco glanced over to her and rolled his eyes, placing the bottle down on the nightstand.

"No, but the little bastard tried," he replied, getting up and walking over to her. She bit her lip when he stood right in front of her.

"I heard about the fight between you and my brother," she whispered.

Draco rolled his eyes.

"Your brother is a prick."

Ginny smiled.

"So are you."

Draco didn't answer. Instead, he just looked at her for a while before looking around the Wing.

"Thomas is a prick as well," he muttered.

Ginny raised an eyebrow.

"Someone sounds jealous."

Draco's head snapped to her.

"Malfoy's don't get jealous."

Ginny stood up so that she didn't have to hurt her neck to look up at him. She reached out and took his hand.

"You just don't like people touching your stuff?"

Draco leaned in so that their lips were almost touching.

"That's only if you consider yourself my property," he whispered.

Ginny reached out and touched his face, a ghost of a smile playing on her lips.

"You may be Draco Malfoy, but if you call me your property I'll make sure your _property_ never gets anywhere near me," she whispered. Draco smirked and leaned in to seal the kiss, pulling her closer quickly. Their lips moved heatedly against each other until things got so overpowering for Ginny that she pulled away and buried her face in his chest, holding him tightly as she tried to catch her breath. Draco, unaccustomed to this, stood there for a moment before he raised his hands and took her face in his hands.

"Please tell me you're not about to start crying," he muttered. Ginny let out a laugh and wiped her eyes quickly.

"Sorry… you just…"

"Overwhelm you?"

She smacked him in the arm.

"That's not funny, Draco," she snapped while trying not to smile. "I wanted to say thank-"

He cut her off with a quick kiss before pulling away and taking a step back.

"I don't want you to thank me, Weasley. I have enough to deal with without knowing that I've done something… _decent_."

Ginny frowned.

"Draco Malfoy is above being thanked?"

Draco held up his head and smirked.

"I believe I am."

Ginny smiled.

"And I was wondering why I was so eager to see you again," she whispered, moving back over to him. Draco took her arms in his hands and held her close.

"I thought it would be obvious by now," he murmured. Ginny leaned up and kissed him quickly.

"You would think so," she whispered. Draco's eyes darkened and he released one of her arms to run a hand down her face to where her scar began. His fingers ran over the raised mark before his hand curled around her throat with only a little pressure. Ginny could see a sort of contemplation in his eyes and knew that something was bothering him.

"What is it?"

Draco's eyes went over her face for a moment before he leaned in and kissed her softly on the lips.

"My father knows about you," he whispered. Ginny pulled away from him instantly, taking a few steps away.

"What?"

Draco straightened, his eyes going back to being cold and emotionless.

"Lucius knows about you."

* * *

Hermione looked up to see Dean sit down beside Ron, looking thoroughly upset.

"Where's Ginny?" she asked.

Dean looked over at her.

"In the Hospital Wing with Malfoy."

Ron spit out his food.

"With who?"

Hermione and Harry wiped their faces with disgust while Dean just shrugged.

"Malfoy. He came in complaining about some stomach ache or something. I had to leave her with him."

Hermione glanced over at Ron, who looked somewhere between relief and anger.

"So he didn't do anything to her when you left?" he asked quickly.

"Ron!" Hermione scolded.

Dean looked confused and Hermione blushed.

"Ron, you know very well Malfoy wouldn't try anything with Madame Pomfrey around… that would be stupid."

Ron rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, well, people seem to be doing stupid things lately," he grumbled. Harry smiled.

"I'll agree to that."

Hermione let out a sigh and turned back to her food.

"You two are impossible."

Dean didn't look better.

"You think she's safe around him?"

Hermione frowned.

"He _did_ help her, Dean," she said.

Dean's frown deepened.

"But he's still a Malfoy."

Ron snorted.

"Try telling that to her – Ow!"

Hermione shot him a nasty look before turning to her food in a huff.

"Don't you have a detention to go to?" she asked crossly. Ron just rubbed his foot ruefully and Harry remained silent, knowing that if he said anything, he'd be joining Ron.

* * *

Hermione found herself sitting between Harry and Ron in Charms, chewing on her quill while they all waited for Flitwick to finish writing today's lesson on the board. It was taking awhile. Ron and Harry were speaking over her about several little things while she tried to concentrate on the several different charms that were being written down. Across the isle, Draco Malfoy was doing his best to ignore Pansy Parkinson, who seemed adamant on getting his attention. Goyle was on the other side of him, staring at the book in front of him as if he'd never even seen a book before.

"All right, boys and girls, settle down!" Flitwick said sternly. Hermione sat up attentively and Ron rolled his eyes. "Let's practice this new one I just wrote down. Now remember the technique. Let's not be flailing our wands about like baboons," he said, glancing over at Goyle, who seemed to be having a hard time even understanding the words on the board. Hermione instantly began to try the charms while Ron and Harry continued their conversation while flicking their wands lazily at the set of rocks in front of them.

"Do you honestly think that she would send you those letters if she didn't?" Harry asked.

This question caught Hermione's interest, who had managed to tune them out for the most part. She turned to Ron.

"Who sent you letters?" she asked curiously. Ron shot Harry a look.

"No one sent me anything," Ron muttered. "I don't know what Harry's talking about." With that said, he turned to his set of rocks and muttered the words for the charm. Two of his rocks began to leap-frog over one another while the other three just lay there, twitching occasionally. Hermione frowned.

"Don't give me that, Ron. Who's been sending you letters?"

"No one," Ron snapped, repeating the incantation. This time the two rocks began to struggle with one another, shoving the other across the table while the other three finally began to start jumping over one another. However, when one of the fighting rocks hit one of the jumping rocks, all five of them began to start slamming into each other, losing bits and pieces of themselves as they fought. Other students weren't doing any better. A few tables back, Neville was being attacked by four of his rocks while the last one just sat there and cried. Hermione seemed to be the only one who managed to make her rocks do the proper thing. Her rocks jumped on top of each other, stacking themselves high and then began to jump together in several coordinated intervals, sending out silent vibrations that would, incase you were trapped somewhere where disapparation was impossible, you could send out a signal. Hermione on the other hand, wasn't interested in the fact that her rocks were doing what they were supposed to be doing. She was more interested in Ron and his telltale red ears.

"Ron, don't lie to me," she hissed.

"No one sent me letters," he retorted.

"Lavender Brown's been sending Ron letters," Harry whispered.

"Traitor," Ron growled, but Harry just turned back to his dancing rocks. Hermione's eyes narrowed.

"What?" she hissed. Ron sighed.

"She's only sent three."

"And you kept them from me?" she snapped.

"Only because I knew you would act this way," Ron replied, shoving one of his rocks away from his hand. "It's not like I wrote back."

"But you read them," Hermione hissed.

Ron turned to her.

"You write letters to _Vicky_ all the time. Suddenly someone's writing to me and you get all fussy?"

Hermione puffed up indignantly.

"First of all, his name is _Victor_, not Vicky. Secondly, Lavender Brown is not just someone, and lastly, I am not getting _fussy_," she whispered heatedly. "And besides, you get all overprotective when I write to Victor."

"But I'm not writing her," Ron countered. "I'm just receiving letters. There's a very big difference."

"You didn't tell me."

"Because I knew you'd act this way."

"Act what way? I'm just trying to figure out why you lied and told me that you weren't receiving any letters, when in fact, you were receiving love letters from some used out, self-absorbed, dimwitted little slut," she hissed.

"Lavender isn't a slut, Hermione."

Hermione glared at him.

"Women who throw themselves at anything that has a pulse are sluts," she growled.

"Sounds like there's trouble in paradise," came the all too familiar drawl of Draco Malfoy.

Hermione closed her eyes, wishing he would stay out of it.

"Why don't you worry about your rocks, Malfoy," she suggested irritably.

"I would, but you two are much more interesting. Especially the part about Brown being a slut."

"She's not the only slut in here," Hermione snapped before realizing what she'd said.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

The question had come from two different girls, both glaring at the same irritated one. Ron suddenly felt really small as all three girls stood up to glare at each other.

"I'm sorry, did you not hear me the first time?" Hermione asked as Ron and Harry sunk down in their chairs, not wanting to be in the line of fire. Even Flitwick seemed a little afraid to interject.

"You have no right to call me a slut," Lavender snapped.

Hermione rolled her eyes.

"You've been writing Ron letters even when he's dating me, I would say that that's a pretty slutty thing to do," she snapped.

Harry and Ron were surprised. Hermione usually wasn't like this. In fact, they don't remember ever seeing Hermione like this.

"Hermione, maybe you should-" Ron tried.

"You stay out of this," Hermione hissed.

"If we're going to be calling names, then I guess every girl in here would agree that you're a bitch, Granger," Pansy growled.

"Go to hell," Hermione replied.

"You first," Pansy snapped before whipping out her wand.

Ironically, it was Ginny who stopped the fight. She came walking in right when Pansy was about to fire, stopping everything. When she realized what was going on, Ginny stopped in her tracks, eyes wide.

"Is this a bad time, Professor?" she asked timidly, eyes on Hermione, who seemed surprised that Pansy was about to fire on her. It took Flitwick a moment to recover, but when he did, he pulled out his wand and removed Pansy's from her hand.

"Detention, Ms. Parkinson," he squeaked before turning to Lavender and Hermione. "And all three of you should go to the Headmaster's office right after class."

"Why don't Brown and the Mudblood get detention?" Pansy complained.

"Another detention, Ms. Parkinson for using such foul language, now all of you sit down," he snapped, angered by Pansy's use of words. Hermione sat down immediately, followed by Lavender and a less enthusiastic Pansy. Hermione shot a nasty look over at Ron, who was trying to avoid the gazes of every single male in the classroom. Harry, on the other hand, suddenly looked relieved that it was over. Draco and Goyle were trying not to smirk as Ginny entered the classroom and walked over to Flitwick.

"Continue working," the professor ordered before turning to Ginny. She had to lean down to speak to him, but what ever she had to say seemed serious. Harry leaned into Hermione.

"What do you think is going on?" he asked quietly.

Hermione shot him an irritated glance before returning to her jumping rocks. Harry sighed and turned to his own rocks.

"Oh, glorious!"

Everyone looked up to see Flitwick clapping his hands in happiness as he watched Ginny. She was tossing some small, round, black objects into the air and calling out the name of a vegetable.

"Tomatoes," she said clearly and suddenly the black balls exploded into a temporary flash of light before three small, fiery pixy-like beings began to fly around Ginny's head, spraying her with bright blue sparks. Ginny muttered three names and the three creatures shot off in different directions. Two went right through the closed window behind them and the other through the solid oak door. Ginny turned to Flitwick and grinned.

"Courtesy of Fred and George," she told the short professor, who looked more excited than ever.

"And they created those creatures themselves?"

Ginny nodded.

"Phoenix wings and Cornish pixies don't work well together. It took them forever to realize that you have to use cat blood so that they don't explode," she explained.

"Because that would be a tragedy," Draco said loudly, catching Ginny's attention. She caught the amused look in his eyes and she rolled her eyes at him.

"I wish you would explode," Ginny muttered.

Draco leaned back in his chair.

"I bet you'd love to see how I _explode_," he replied. The implication was enough to make half the girls in the room go red while the rest of the class just gaped at him, startled by the rather bold innuendo. However, what startled people most was that Ron made no move to do anything about what had been said. Instead, Ron shot Ginny the glare in which she turned on Draco.

"You're sick," she snapped. Draco just smirked, glancing behind him to the Gryffindor side.

"According to Thomas, it's terminal."

Ginny's face turned completely red at the reminder of what had happened the day before in the Hospital Wing. Flitwick, however, had enough of the back and forth.

"Go back to work. All of you. And Mr. Malfoy, if you decide to open your mouth again, it better be a charm, because if it isn't, then you'll be spending detention with me tonight."

All the students returned to their work, glancing up occasionally as Ginny and the professor continued their conversation. The two shook hands and Ginny grinned.

"I'll send them the order tonight," she promised before turning to leave. But, before she got out the door, Draco whispered something under his breath and suddenly a gust of wind blew down the center isle, lifting up Ginny's robes and skirt, exposing her smooth legs and shorts she was wearing. She must have been expecting that much from Draco to be wearing them.

"Mr. Malfoy!"

This time, Ron did react.

Draco shot out the door with the pissed redhead on his heels, all the while calling over his shoulder that it was a charm.

Pansy, as well as a few other girls, was laughing at Ginny while several guys from both Houses were giving Ginny wolf whistles. Hermione just rolled her eyes and the immature behavior and reversed the charm. Ginny, bright red, marched out of the classroom, looking murderous and out to find Draco before Ron could.

Harry sighed and returned to his rocks, which were now doing summersaults off the desk and landing on the ground, cracking themselves in half.

"Bloody hell."

**A/N: A bit of normality. I think we've been away from that a bit too long. I know it was a bit OOC, but I thought it was funny, so whatever. (This seems to be a reoccurring theme with me.) I hope you enjoy this. **


	19. Pulling the Wrong Strings

_The aim of the wise is not to secure pleasure, but to avoid pain._ **-Aristotle**

* * *

Ginny found herself in the common room on the Sunday afternoon after she had returned, staring at the book in her hand, wishing she wasn't there at all. Though she had been angry at Draco for his little stunt in the Charms class, she did want to see him again. However, she had a very weird feeling that since then, he had resorted to avoiding her. Ginny only hoped that it was for fear of his father telling someone about their relationship.

"Ginny are you listening?" Hermione asked.

Ron snorted.

"Of course she isn't. She's thinking about Ma-"

"I'm thinking about all the good hexes I can use on you if you finish that sentence," Ginny snapped, shooting him a dark look before closing her book and turning to Hermione. "I'm sorry, Hermione. What were you talking about?"

Hermione frowned.

"Well, to be quite honest, I was talking about Malfoy," she said, lowering her voice. "He and Warrington are butting heads again, now that you're back and Warrington's spreading rumors that Malfoy's becoming soft towards… _muggleborn_ lovers," she said. Ginny frowned. Though she had not mentioned what Draco had told her earlier, she could still tell that things were starting to go from bad to worse quickly.

"Why would Warrington start such a rumor? Everyone knows it's not true," she said.

Hermione shrugged.

"He did help your family, Ginny. That's as bad as joining Gryffindor according to the Slytherins."

"But Ron's been telling people other reasons why Draco helped me," Ginny said quietly.

Ron frowned at the mention of the Slytherin's first name, but spoke nonetheless.

"They believed it until Malfoy started getting all secretive again. They say he's been holding meetings in his quarters every day with only those four he hangs around with. Personally, I think Warrington's scared that he's planning something and is just trying to turn people against him," he finished.

Hermione leaned back in the couch and turned to Ginny.

"I heard that Warrington's sending people into Malfoy's room continuously to attack him. Of course, all those people keep showing up in the Hospital Wing and Malfoy's hands are always clean. I was talking to Dumbledore and he told me that other Houses are starting to show signs of aggression towards those who are loyal to Malfoy as well."

Ginny bit her lip.

"What do you think they're after?"

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked.

Ginny sighed.

"Well, I think Warrington would have figured it out by now that Draco's not the _easiest_ target, which means he's not after Draco specifically," she explained. "What do you think they're looking for?"

"A weakness."

The three turned to see Harry standing behind Ron, holding a couple of books in his hand. He sat down in the chair opposite Ron and Hermione and set down his books.

"Like you said, Hermione. If he's holding all those meetings, he must be hiding something, which means he has a weakness."

Their eyes turned to Ginny, who grew red.

"Me? You can't be serious. I haven't seen him in a week! They don't even know about us," she hissed.

"But they know there's someone and they obviously think it's a woman," Hermione replied and they all turned to her.

"How would you know that?" Ron asked.

Hermione sighed.

"Most of the attacks happen at night," she said, glancing over at Ginny. "And to be quite honest, as far as everyone else knows, he's always sleeping with someone. I think they're hoping to catch someone in that room with him so that they can get some sort of leverage."

Harry frowned.

"But if he's just after sex, then it would be pointless to go after him at night. There'd be a different girl in that room," he said before glancing over to Ginny. "Unless…"

"Unless they've noticed that his habits have changed," Hermione said, giving Ginny a pointed look. "They must have noticed that he doesn't have the same posse of girls around him lately. I heard that he's been throwing Parkinson out of his room as well. Besides, with that little stunt he pulled during Charms class, they probably think he's focusing his sights on you."

Ron snorted and looked over at Ginny.

"It looks like you've had more of an affect on him than you thought," he said with a smirk. Ginny rolled her eyes and opened her book.

"He can take care of himself," she muttered, returning to the chapter she had been trying to read while trying not to think about the object of this current conversation. But as she did that, she noticed Ron glance over at Hermione, who Ginny just realized was sitting beside Ron. She must have forgiven him, though it seemed as if Ron were going out of his way to be nice to her lately. Ginny also remembered seeing Lavender leaving her dormitory a few days back with boils all over her face and arms. Neither girl made any comment on how they got there.

"He's certainly proven that," Hermione murmured, though her eyes were no longer on them, but on a couple of students who had entered the common room looking flushed and excited.

"There's a fight going on down by the Great Hall! Malfoy and Warrington are trying to kill each other!"

* * *

When Ginny had arrived down to the Great Hall with the others, things had gone from bad to worse. Draco, not to anyone's surprise, was winning and looking perfect while doing it. His hair was still slicked back and his robes were still spotless. The only indication that he was in a fight was his left arm that hung limply at his side. His hand was twisted in a very unnatural position that made Ginny gasp.

"What happened?" Ron asked Seamus, who had been there earlier. Seamus pointed to Warrington, who looked much worse.

"Warrington was out here, waiting for Malfoy to appear with his cronies. He got Malfoy in the arm with some sort of bone crushing curse. It looked pretty painful, but Malfoy got back on his feet pretty quickly and since then, the two have been shooting curses at each other. Malfoy's hit his target much more though," Seamus muttered, pointing at Warrington's bloody shirt and ripped robes. The boy looked as if he were regretting his little sneak attack, but wasn't about to admit it as he shot off another curse. A few people screamed and ducked out of the way as one of the paintings came crashing to the ground. Luckily, the occupants fled into the painting of two pigs before their own painting was destroyed.

"What did you think you were going to do, Cole? Hit me once and think I'd go down? You're not that good a shot," Draco sneered. He hissed something under his breath and Warrington went flying into the air before he came crashing down to the ground with a sickening thud. A couple of girls came running to Warrington's aid but he shoved them away, swearing at them fiercely before he struggled to his feet.

"I'm going to kill you," he growled.

"You can try."

Warrington's eyes blazed with hatred and he pointed his wand straight at Draco.

"_Avada Ker-"_

"What's going on?!"

The crowd parted to make way for Professor McGonagall and Snape. McGonagall looked between the two boys and frowned.

"What happened?"

Neither said a word and Snape rolled his eyes.

"Both of you go up to the Hospital Wing," Snape snapped. "Now!"

Draco glanced around the crowd and caught sight of Ginny, who looked extremely concerned. He smirked at her before he turned and left, striding ahead of Warrington, who needed a little help getting there. McGonagall turned to the crowd and gave them a stern look. They all dispersed immediately, either going back into the Great Hall or back to their common rooms. Harry tugged on Ginny's shirt.

"Ginny, come on. We should go," he whispered. Ginny looked up at him and nodded.

"Yeah," she muttered.

* * *

As the time drew near to Christmas Break, things got worse within Slytherin. Ginny's reappearance seemed to have sparked a miniwar between Draco and Warrington, though to be quite honest, Warrington was the one doing most of the battling. Draco's rage would only get worse as some of his people were attacked by groups of masked people in corridors and even once in the library. He never retaliated though, which frustrated Warrington and perhaps even the person Warrington was answering to.

Lucius Malfoy had a lot to do with Draco's lack of retaliation. Rumors were spreading throughout the school that Lucius was sending Draco threatening messages, forcing Draco to remain silent.

Ginny's safety was even called into question when an anonymous letter sent to her turned out to be poisoned. Ginny wasn't hurt, but the boy who had intercepted the letter took her place in St. Mungos.

Ron on the other hand, was lighthearted. He was cracking jokes and insisting that Neville and Hermione come over to the Burrow for Christmas when the time came. Hermione was a bit apprehensive, since her parents were still in a little danger from Malfoy, but after Ron reassured her that his mother had invited her parents over to stay for a while, she quickly accepted. Neville hopped on board when his grandmother fell ill and was forced to stay at St. Mungos against her will.

"Some strange form of chicken pox, the Healer says," Neville told Ron and Harry during breakfast the day he found out.

All-in-all, Ron was trying to remain positive. Hermione applauded his attempts and Harry just laughed along with the others at his jokes. Ginny was the only one who didn't seem to be enjoying the whole prospect of going home just yet.

She found herself walking down one of the many corridors of Hogwarts, lost in thought as she continued to wander. She had just spent a couple of hours in the Hospital Wing taking her last dose of blood replenishers for the night and was now heading to the kitchens for a snack.

She was mostly worried that she wouldn't have a chance to talk to Draco before she left. There was still some things she wanted to talk to him about that she had not been able to when they had seen each other in the Hospital Wing. Primarily about Lucius.

"Didn't anyone tell you that it wasn't safe to wander the halls at night?"

Ginny smiled and turned around to face Draco, who strode over to her. Rockwell and Goyle were standing near by, trying not to watch the two interact.

"No one told me that there were snakes roaming round," she replied coyly, placing a hand on his chest to stop him from getting too close. "How can I be sure you're not poisonous?"

Draco smirked, leaned in and kissed her.

"I think being poisoned is the last thing you should be worried about," he muttered into her lips.

"Someone's coming, Draco," Rockwell growled urgently, glancing behind him towards the noise. Draco glanced in the same direction before taking Ginny's hand and leading her in the direction of his private quarters.

"Make sure we're not seen," he said over his shoulder. Ginny hurried along with him, glancing back occasionally.

"Where's Rayne?" she asked.

"With Severus."

"Okay."

* * *

When they arrived at the Head Boy's room, Draco pointed to his bedroom.

"You can wait up there. I have a few things I need to do before I come up," he told her, moving over to the fireplace.

Ginny nodded mutely and went up the stairs, entering his room and closing the door softly behind her. She removed her robes and hung them in the closet before she looked around. His large owl was gone, she noticed as she walked around. She stopped in the corner where the pensive was and hesitated, glancing into the silvery mass that moved around seamlessly in the steel basin.

Would she dare enter Draco's thoughts? His memories?

There something so tempting about seeing through the perspective of a young man who revealed so little to anyone, including herself.

However, when she reached out to touch the memories, Draco's voice stopped her.

"You wouldn't like what you saw. It's too disturbing."

She turned to see him standing by the door, watching her carefully. She glanced over at the pensive before turning back to him.

"People dying?"

Draco walked over to the closet and hung up his robes.

"People don't always have to be dying for it to be disturbing, Weasley," he said, turning to her. Ginny walked over to him.

"You would know all about that wouldn't you?"

"Yes I would," he snapped. Ginny frowned.

"What's in there?"

"You wouldn't believe me even if I told you."

"Try me."

He turned to look at her.

"Why are you so interested in my thoughts?"

Ginny smirked.

"I find your thoughts fascinating."

"Watching people die isn't all that fascinating, Weasley," he said darkly.

She tugged on his shirt, pulling him closer.

"You're a man of many contradictions, Draco. You hate Gryffindors, yet you shag the girls. You hate muggleborns and blood traitors, but you also hate Death Eaters. You don't like being around death, yet you're so willing to kill," she whispered.

Draco watched her for a moment.

"I don't enjoy killing people, Weasley. I don't get that sick rush that Bellatrix or Lucius do."

"Then why do you do it?"

Draco reached out and grabbed her arms, pulling her flush against him.

"Why are we talking about death?"

Ginny shrugged.

"I don't know…"

He smirked and leaned in, kissing her jaw before he reached the corner of her lip, teasing her slowly before he finally kissed her. She smiled when she felt his hands move up to her shirt and began to unbutton it. She pulled away a little, their lips only a hairsbreadth apart, as she slipped out of her blouse. Draco's eyes went over her slowly before he leaned in again and began placing kisses up her jaw to the area right under her ear, nipping her ear as his hands moved slowly around her waist. Ginny glanced over to the small window and the view of Judas brought back the memory of what had happened in the hospital wing.

"Draco," she whispered hesitantly as he pulled her closer. "What about your father?"

Draco pulled away from her to look into her eyes. He stared at her for a moment before he kissed her forehead softly.

"Not tonight," he murmured. "Not tonight…"

Their lips met again in a heated battle, both desperate to gain lost time. Plunging his tongue into her mouth, he grinned as she moaned pulling away. Their eyes met for a moment before she looked down, reached out, and pulled at the hem of his shirt. She pulled it up and over his head, tossing it to the side and taking in his chest. Her head tilted to the side and a small smile appeared on her face as she reached out and touched his abdomen. He just watched her, smirking at her reaction to him.

"See something you like?" he asked. She looked up at him and her smile grew brighter.

"Not yet," she whispered. She leaned in and kissed his chest. "I'll tell you when I do."

"Tonight?"

Ginny grinned and looked up at him again.

"That's not what I meant, Draco," she murmured, running her hands down his chest and stopping right above his pants hem. Draco grabbed her arms and pulled her flush up against him, causing her to gasp as the reality of the situation sunk in.

"How about now?" he growled into her ear.

"Go to hell," she whispered. Draco smirked and he brought her head up to his again and they kissed fervently. Draco ran his hands through her hair and down her back again, landing assertively on her backside. She grabbed his hand and pulled it up to her side. "I said go to hell," she whispered into his lips.

"Bite me," Draco hissed, moving down to her neck. Ginny grinned.

"My pleasure," she whispered, tugging on his ear as he pulled her closer. He felt her hands drift down to his pants and undo his belt buckle. He smiled at her boldness and picked her up quickly. She wrapped her legs around his waist, kissing him deeply. He made his way to the bed and he laid her down, their lips still moving together. Finally Draco pulled away, looking down at her. He took in her disheveled hair and full pink lips. The way her body looked in the pale moonlight. She watched his eyes rove over her and it scared her. It was a primal need she had seen only once from a Death Eater who had almost gotten the best of her. But before she could say a word, his lips crashed down on hers and his hands quickly removed her skirt before they ran up and down her body, taking in everything he could. His lips seemed to be everywhere, caressing her and pushing her over the edge. She could hardly breathe beneath him and she could barely think clearly. For a moment things got so overwhelming and so unstable that she actually afraid that he would go against what she wanted. But then suddenly he disappeared, leaving her gasping on the bed.

When Ginny finally regained some sense of sanity, she pulled herself up into a sitting position and saw him pacing the floor like a caged animal. For a while she just watched him, knowing that he was struggling against every natural urge not to hurt her… not to satisfy himself… He cared about her… he cared about her enough to stop himself…

When he finally settled down at his desk, gripping the chair tightly and breathing deeply, she stood up and grabbed some of the sheets, wrapping them around herself. She walked over to him and stood there for a moment, unsure of what to say. Ginny reached out to touch his arm but he pulled away from her. They stood there in silence, both lost in a world she didn't understand and he didn't care to understand.

"Do you know what you're getting yourself into?" he asked quietly.

"Yes."

Draco met her eyes and she stood straighter.

"You're a murderer, a liar, a manipulator and a bastard. Your father's a Death Eater and he wants both of us dead. You have a whole underworld lusting for your blood. You'd rather watch someone be tortured than have them killed… and you love me." Draco opened his mouth to say something but she cut him off with two fingers to his lips. "And don't deny it. I've spent too much time with Harry Potter to know when someone is denying their feelings… besides… this is the second time you've stopped yourself from having sex with me," she said with a smile. "Either you're in love or the rumors that have been going around aren't true and Draco Malfoy just makes his other conquests _think_ that they had the nights of their lives."

A smirk appeared on Draco's face before looked over her carefully as he kissed her finger tips seductively. When she bit her lip to suppress her eagerness for him to continue, he leaned in and kissed her softly. As soon as he pulled away, he ran his thumb over her lips before he turned to his desk.

"Go to bed, Weasley," he whispered.

"My name is Ginny."

"Bite me."

Ginny smirked.

"I did, but you couldn't handle it," she murmured mischievously.

Draco moved so fast, she hardly knew what had happened until she found herself up against the wall, one of Draco's hands beneath the sheets and pulling dangerously on her panties while the other circled close to her breast, causing her eyes to widen and her breath to quicken.

"I have no problem dragging you over to that bed and screwing you," he growled roughly into her ears, his voice sending shockwaves of unwanted pleasure down her spine. Ginny had to close her eyes for a moment to regain her composure as his hands teased her mercilessly. She reached down to remove his hand from her knickers, but that hand pinned hers to the wall while his other hand moved down to pull her hips closer to his, forcing another wave of bliss through her body.

"You wouldn't," she gasped halfheartedly, struggling to keep a sane mind. "You'd have to deal with my brothers, and we both know that wouldn't go over well."

There was a moment of silence, then Draco moved away from her to the desk again, leaving her at the wall.

"Go to bed," he muttered, turning to look at her. They stared at each other for a moment before Ginny stood up on her toes, kissed him quickly and then shuffled back over to the bed, lying down and shifting around so that she could see him.

"Are you going to stand there and watch me all night?" she asked, pulling the sheets over herself.

Draco watched her for a moment before he headed over to the bathroom.

"I think I'll take a shower first."

* * *

Hermione looked up from her book to see Ron enter her room and sit down on her couch, looking a bit upset. She watched him sit there for a moment, expecting him to say something, but when he didn't, she shut her book and sat up straighter on her bed, frowning.

"Ron, what are you doing here?" she asked.

He looked over at her as if he just realized that she was here and his frown deepened.

"Ginny never came back from the Hospital Wing tonight," he muttered.

Hermione suddenly realized what Ron meant and she sighed.

"Ron, Ginny's old enough to take care of herself," she said, putting the book down on her nightstand before getting off her bed and walking over to where he sat.

Ron waited until she sat down before he spoke.

"I know that, I just… She's not strong right now and you know as much as I do that Malfoy's only interested in one thing," he told her. Hermione frowned.

"Ron, I've seen Malfoy with Ginny, and I really think he loves her," she whispered. Ron sighed.

"I've seen the way he looks at her too, but that doesn't mean he still isn't a Malfoy," he muttered. "Fred and George are different with Angelina and Alicia, that doesn't mean they still won't pull a few tricks on the two once in a while."

Hermione took Ron's hand in hers and squeezed it tightly.

"Ron… I think you need to trust Ginny's judgment a bit more," she said. "You need to trust that she knows when to stop him if things get out of control."

"_When_ things get out of control," he muttered darkly.

Hermione stared at him for a while before she removed her hand and stood up, moving over to her vanity.

"Ron, you need to relax a little. I think you've been worrying too much about Ginny. She'll be fine. Besides, Malfoy knows better than to try anything with a girl who has six older brothers who would be more than willing to kill him," she said, shifting a few things around on the vanity. Ron looked up at her and sighed again.

"I guess… I just don't like the idea of her shacking up with-"

"She's not shacking up with him, Ron," Hermione snapped. "She's just…"

"Sleeping with him?" Ron offered coldly. Hermione faltered for a moment then went back over to him and sat down.

"Can I ask you something Ron?"

He shrugged and she sighed.

"What's really bothering you about this?"

Ron frowned.

"What do you mean, what's bothering me about this? I thought it would be obvious-"

"Ron, I know you don't hate Malfoy, so don't try to prove otherwise," she snapped. Ron sighed.

"Look, Hermione. This is Draco Malfoy we're dealing with. He's dangerous and his own father has hurt Ginny before. Ginny's not all that safe," he muttered.

Hermione was silent before she began staring at him as if she had just realized something.

"Ron… you're not worried about Ginny's safety… you're upset because this whole relationship actually makes sense," she whispered.

For a moment it looked as if he were about to deny the accusation, but then he sighed and shrugged. Hermione leaned into him and kissed his cheek.

"Ginny's always been looking for the anti-hero since she and Harry broke up," she whispered, resting her head on Ron's shoulder. "She finally found him…"

Ron leaned back in the sofa and wrapped his arm around Hermione's shoulder.

"Yeah… I just hoped that it wouldn't be Draco freaking Malfoy…"

Hermione smiled and looked up at Ron.

"I'm sure Ginny's saying the exact same thing."

**A/N: I'm sure she does. Well, I hope you enjoyed this.**

MeggyandHaku: I'll update as fast as I can!

PhoenixTalons: I thought so as well.

purplegabby123: I thought I'd put in some normalicy in before things get a bit heated.

**Chapter Tease: Something I haven't done in a long time!**

_"Draco," she mumbled against his lips. _

_"What?" he muttered. She pulled away for some air before she asked her question. _

_"What was your last memory of Christmas? That lady in the woods… she mentioned something about your last memory of Christmas," she whispered._


	20. A Change in Circumstances

_Love: Two minds without a single thought._ **-Philip Barry**

* * *

Draco stirred out of his sleep when the scent of apples filled his nostrils, and he opened his eyes to see red hair in his face. He sat up a little to realize that Ginny was sleeping beside him with her back to him. Her bright red hair was splayed all over both their pillows as well as covering a little of her face. She was clutching the satin sheets close to her chest and had them tucked under her arm, exposing her shoulder and arm to him. For a split second he felt his heart constrict at the beautiful sight of her, but he quickly crushed that very suicidal feeling as he continued to watch her sleep. Draco sighed and lay back down on his back, his mind going over last night.

"_Besides… this is the second time you've stopped yourself from having sex with me," she said with a smile. "Either you're in love or the rumors that have been going around aren't true…"_

Once again, Draco had gone against everything he had been taught and had pulled away, verifying her statement that he did love her. But those were feelings he couldn't afford to expose. He couldn't afford to do what he did again…

"_You're a murderer, a liar, a manipulator and a bastard…"_

She knew him too well…

He had allowed her to get too close… he had allowed her to become more and soon he would pay the price for his laziness… for his weakness…

Swearing quietly, he carefully got out of bed and began to pace the floor, glancing over at her occasionally to make sure that she still sleeping.

This whole situation was slowly and painfully getting out of his control. The longer he allowed himself to be close to her and explore her, the closer he was to not only losing control of Slytherin, but losing control of his own life and that was not something he could let happen.

Yet, here he was, standing in the middle of his bedroom, staring at the most beautiful woman he had ever met, knowing that life was slowly slipping from his fingertips.

Judas interrupted his train of thought and brought his attention to the letter in his beak. Draco took it quickly, continuing to glance over at Ginny's sleeping form as he read the letter. He didn't bother reading the rest. He crumpled it up in his hand and tossed it on his desk.

_Pansy Parkinson will most definitely get herself killed_, Draco thought as he watched Ginny shift a little in her sleep. _If not by me then by some other Slytherin girl who was tired of seeing Pansy get her way. _

All the other Slytherin males were too incapacitated by her sex appeal to bother getting rid of her. It would be up to Draco or some cold-blooded Slytherin bitch to bring do it.

It was then that Draco began to think about how Ginny and Parkinson differed.

They were both smart, though in very different ways. When it came to the Dark Arts and other related topics, Pansy had the upper hand. She knew how to use the system to her advantage and she knew exactly what to do to make a man tell even the most sacred of secrets.

However, when it came to intellect, he would have to admit that Ginny was much better equipped. He knew she was a bright student, almost up there with Granger even and when it came to wits, she matched him, which made it easier for him to have a conversation with her than with Pansy, who was only interested in one thing.

Again, when it came to appeal, they were both sexy in their own right. Pansy was much more forward about things with an aggression that sometimes surpassed Draco's. She wasn't about wasting time either, which was one thing that Draco liked about her. She didn't hesitate.

Ginny, on the other hand, was sexy in a very irritating celibate sort of way that drove him crazy. She was the princess of Gryffindor that only two other boys had had the pleasure of touching, and none of them had ever given any details about their encounters with her. Ginny Weasley was a mystery under a Gryffindor uniform, protected by six older brothers and the uneasiness of Harry Potter's constant presence on her life, even when they weren't together. Unlike Pansy, Ginny was a tease. Her beauty was known throughout the male population at Hogwarts, yet no one had been able to break the fiery fortress. It was as if she enjoyed torturing men with those tempting pink lips, smooth freckled skin and that body that curved and dipped…

"Shit," Draco swore, closing his eyes and trying to force out those very deadly images of her and calm himself down.

But they each had their flaws…

Pansy was cocky, which helped her in certain cases, but would eventually do more harm to herself, such as the first morning Ginny had spent in his room. She pushed her limits and broke rules even Draco wouldn't, putting her in a position most girls in Slytherin coveted. Draco's only constant. Well, his only constant until recently, anyway. Still, she was the only girl who had access to Draco twenty-four, seven and that was also something that would eventually catch up to her. You can't stay a constant in Draco Malfoy's life for so long without collecting some enemies on the way.

Ginny's weakness was a lot less subtle and much more in abundance. While Pansy cared for no one but herself, Ginny had so much more to lose, which made her a liability when it came to lying. You can't lie very well when someone you care about is being tortured. She had her whole bloody family, Granger, Potter, Lovegood and a whole lot more in the Gryffindor House. Draco, though he knew she would never admit it, knew he had become another one of her weaknesses and that was something he knew would get them both into trouble.

Her other flaw was her bloody temper.

Draco rolled his eyes as he sat down in his armchair and fixed his eyes on her prone form. All those Weasleys had bad tempers, but as far as he was concerned, the two youngest were the worst. In his opinion, her bark was worse than her bite, though in some cases, he wondered…

_Ginny hit him again in the chest, glaring daggers at him. _

"_The next time you decide to kiss me, don't!" she snapped, hitting him repeatedly. "You… insufferable… presumptuous… overzealous… egotistical… rat… bastard!" She accentuated each word with a blow to the chest. _

--

_Ginny found herself slammed against the wall; Malfoy's face only a hairsbreadth from hers. _

"_If you tell anyone about what you saw, I swear Weasley, I'll-"_

"_You'll what? Knock me out? Kill me?" Ginny asked._

--

These thoughts gave way to very different memories…

--

"_You know… I was just thinking," she whispered._

"_There's a surprise," Draco interrupted before she could continue. "I didn't know you Gryffindor lot were capable of thinking. Just a lot of useless-"_

_Ginny cut him off with a quick kiss before she pulled away. _

"_You know, Malfoy. You can be a real pain in the arse when you want to be," she said with a smile. He stared at her for a moment and she kissed him. He pulled her closer and her lips opened against his, signaling him to deepen their kiss. As his tongue grazed lightly against hers, she moaned into his mouth and Draco instantly felt himself grow aroused. _

"_Bugger," he growled into her lips, pulling her impossibly closer. He needed to stop. He knew he should for her sake. But she was so soft… so warm…_

--

"_Draco," she gasped, leaning her head back as his lips traveled lower. "Draco…"_

"_What?" Draco growled into her skin. _

"_I love you," she gasped. _

Draco sighed, stood up and moved over to lie back down beside Ginny. At first he just lay there on his back, trying to sort through all the memories and the forbidden feelings that came along with them. He turned on his side and leaned over Ginny's back to see her face. She didn't move. He leaned in and kissed her neck, lingering for a moment as he snaked one arm over her side and rested a hand on her stomach, pulling her back towards him. Once again, images of last Christmas flooded his mind and he rested his head against her shoulder, thinking only of Ginny's safety and how every moment she spent here with him, her safety was going out the window. That's when she stirred slightly and actually turned herself under his arm so that her face was in his chest. Her eyes opened slightly and after a moment of confusion, she gave a faint smile and ran a hand down his chest.

"I was hoping this wouldn't happen," she murmured sleepily, her finger tracing his abs. Draco ran a hand up and down her back as he held her close.

"What's happened?"

Ginny didn't respond immediately. At first, she just leaned in and kissed his chest, her eyes closing with the oncoming of sleep.

"I was hoping I wouldn't wake up in your arms," she mumbled before falling back to sleep. Draco sighed and rolled over on his back, taking her with him so that she rested a little on his chest.

"Yeah…. I was hoping that wouldn't happen either…"

* * *

Luna left the bathroom fixing her earrings. She had the whole day to herself since Ginny would be spending most of her time with Draco. Luna didn't mind. She was glad that Ginny finally had someone who had time to devote primarily to her, even if he was a manipulating, self-absorbed snake.

Luna couldn't help but smile as she walked down the hall, stopping only once to look out the window into the courtyard where snow was starting to gather.

"You've been avoiding me, Luna."

She whipped out her wand and whirled around to see Blaise standing there with his hands in the air, a smirk on his face.

"A little jumpy, aren't we?" he asked. Luna watched him for a moment before she pocketed her wand and began to walk down the corridor away from him. Blaise fell into step beside her and for a while they walked in silence.

"We haven't spoken since the kiss in the library. You were rather rude," Blaise commented.

"I thought I told you to send a card," she replied.

"You have some serious issues, Lovegood."

"Says the boy whose loyalty belongs to Draco Malfoy," she muttered, turning the corner and stopping at another window to look outside again.

"At least I'm sane."

"You kissed me."

"I must have been high that day."

"That wouldn't be a first."

"Do you have a problem with me?"

"I have several problems with you. Would you like to hear them?"

"I don't think we have the time."

Luna began to walk again, becoming increasingly uncomfortable with Blaise's proximity to her. She didn't know why she was so uncomfortable around him. He had saved her life more than once and he had made it obvious to her on more than one occasion that his interest in her ran deeper than most Slytherin boys. Yet, there was something about him that scared her…

"Don't you have some other girl to go torture?" she asked.

"I'm not Warrington."

Luna stopped and took a deep breath.

"I know."

It was silent for a few minutes while Blaise waited for her to make another move. She didn't. She just stood there.

"Luna-"

"It's snowing," she interrupted, stopping abruptly to look out another window. Blaise stopped beside her and they stood there for a while, just looking out the window until Luna turned to Blaise.

"I'm sorry, what were you saying?"

Once again, before Luna could object, Blaise pulled her to him and kissed her. For a moment she tried to push him away, but the next moment she gave in and allowed him to kiss her. His hands moved around her waist, pulling her closer to him as their kisses started to grow more passionate. Blaise backed her up into the wall, trapping her from running away. Luna wrapped her arms around his neck, allowing him to get closer as both of them slowly got lost in each other. Blaise made sure not to make any move that would remind her of the war. She was still fragile in that regard and one false move could send her running.

Luna finally pulled away, in desperate need for some air. She stepped back, leaning against the wall and fiddling with his robes. Blaise watched her attentively, taking in her pink slightly swollen lips and tousled hair. The way she was pulling on his robes gently and the way she was licking her lips to wet them was so innocent, yet so seductive it took everything in Blaise's power not to kiss her again.

"You never thanked me for saving you," she whispered. Blaise smiled as he rested his hands lightly on her hips.

"You never thanked me for saving you," he replied and she tapped the Slytherin emblem on his robes.

"I hear that Slytherins don't like to be thanked for doing something good," she said, and he reached up to touch her face. For a moment she pulled away, but then she allowed him to caress her face before he leaned his hand against the cool stone wall, trapping her again.

"Are you trying to tell me that Gryffindors are more starved for attention than Slytherins, because if that's true then you may be on to something," he told her. They stared at each other for a moment before Blaise leaned in to kiss her.

"I hate Slytherins," she whispered before their lips touched. Blaise smirked into the kiss as he pulled her away from the wall with one arm while he kept both of them up with his other hand against the wall. They kissed for a while before he pulled away from her lips and leaned into her neck, breathing in her scent and kissing her skin as he held her close.

"You want to know the only thing _she's_ good for?"

Blaise felt Luna freeze in his arm as he turned to see Warrington standing a few meters away, alone. Blaise pushed Luna behind him as he turned to face the other Slytherin.

"Piss off, Warrington," he growled, fingering his wand in his pocket. Warrington rolled his eyes, pulling out his own wand.

"Now Blaise, we all now you can't handle her. Now why don't you go find some Hufflepuff to shag," he suggested as he approached the two. Luna's grip on Blaise's robes tightened and she even tried to pull him back a little, but he remained where he was.

"You're the one who got your arse kicked when you tried to handle her," Blaise hissed.

"At least I handled her enough to seal the deal," Warrington jeered.

"Blaise!" Luna cried, but the plea was too late. Red, blue and green jets of light quickly filled the hall with smoke and debris as the two dueled it out while Luna huddled in the corner, trying desperately not to get hit by wild shots. She watched as paintings fell and even a window shattered, but she had lost sight of both young men as the debris got bad. She pulled out her wand and stood up against the wall, trying to see through the dust.

Before she could scream, a hand covered her mouth and another arm moved around her stomach, dragging her back. She instantly began to fight against the person, clawing at the hand and kicking behind her.

"Luna, stop moving," Blaise hissed, turning her around so that she could see that it was him. She let out a sigh of relief and then hit him hard in the face before she began to hurry off in the opposite direction of Blaise and what Luna believed to be a very hurt, very unconscious Warrington.

"I hate Slytherins," she called over her shoulder. Blaise glanced behind him before he ran to catch up with her, turning the corner and heading up a flight of stairs to get away from the scene. As they walked quickly down the halls, he leaned into her to say something. However, before he could say a thing, she stopped and turned to him.

"Now you know why I've been avoiding you," she snapped. Blaise rolled his eyes.

"So I blew Warrington halfway to hell and destroyed a hallway at the same time, that doesn't give you a reason to avoid me," he muttered.

"That gives me every reason to-"

Without giving her a warning, he took hold of her face and his lips came crashing down on hers eagerly. Luna, surprised by his onslaught, tried to pull away from him for a moment before she leaned into him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, her knees buckling as he continued to kiss her. He backed her up into the wall, their lips moving against each other quickly, his hands moving down her back to her legs. There was a hitch in her breath and he pulled away, aware of her growing uneasiness with the way things were going.

"Sorry," he whispered.

"Ahem," someone coughed.

The two turned to see Snape standing there, looking slightly disturbed by the sight he was seeing.

"Warrington's unconscious in a hall full of debris," Snape sneered, his eyes traveling over to Luna's pale features. Blaise didn't bother moving from his spot at the wall which made sure that Luna had no way of escaping. In fact, he was even bold enough to lean in and kiss her neck, resting his head on her shoulder as he smirked.

"Warrington's a dick," he growled into her skin.

"Is that what you said to him before you-"

"Blaise and I were just in the tower," Luna cut in, surprising even Blaise. Snape raised an eyebrow, a very amused smirk on his face as he turned to leave.

"She learns fast," he said over his shoulder before disappearing around the corner.

"Ow!" Blaise exclaimed, moving away from Luna, who continued down the hall.

"You should have sent that card, Mr. Zabini," she called.

Blaise rolled his eyes and went in the opposite direction, knowing that if he followed after her, he'd be pushing his luck. That wasn't something he wanted to do at the moment.

* * *

Ginny felt herself being shaken roughly and she slapped at the hand, grumbling into the soft pillow.

"Shove off," she muttered.

Someone shook her again, but she growled and hit the offensive hand again.

"I said piss off," she hissed.

"You're so lovely in the morning."

Ginny's eyes popped open and she rolled over onto her side to see Draco sitting on the bed beside her, smirking down at her and fingering her hair.

"You're not a morning person are you?"

Ginny snatched her hair back from him.

"I ought to punch you in the face right now," she said. Draco leaned in so that their faces were barely touching.

"You ought to… but you won't."

"How do you know?" she asked, trying to ignore the temptation of his lips that were so close to hers. He pulled away, sitting up straight and looking down at her properly.

"Because you haven't entered my thoughts yet… and apparently they're fascinating," he said with a smirk. She blushed and hit him in the arm.

"You think you're fascinating," she whispered. Draco smirked.

"That's because I am," he replied smartly. Ginny rolled her eyes.

"Egotistical, stubborn, manipulating-"

"Sexy," Draco whispered, leaning in and kissing her again. Ginny smiled as he pulled away to look down at her.

"I was going to say arse, but sexy works as well," she replied.

"It's nice to know you're loved," Draco muttered.

"Did that shower work for you last night?"

Draco's eyes narrowed.

"I take that back, you're an evil little bint," he growled. Ginny grinned.

"I try," she said before looking around. "What time is it?" she asked.

"You have time," he said. Ginny looked up at him.

"Oh really?"

Draco leaned in and brushed his lips against hers, pushing her back into the covers when she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Yes," he mumbled into her mouth as he moved on top of her, trapping her body between his and the sheets. Ginny grinned into the kiss but pulled away when his hands began to play with her knickers.

"Draco," she muttered, fixing him with a look. "You _really_ have a problem."

Draco looked down at her.

"Yeah, you and your bloody morals."

Ginny only smiled.

"Yet here we are," she whispered, running a hand down his arm to where his hand rested at her hip. "Lying on your _very_ seductive black silk sheets, wearing nothing but our underwear, hidden from public eyes… and I'm still a virgin and you're still…"

"I'm still?" Draco asked with a raised eyebrow. Ginny leaned up and kissed him softly, gasping when he pulled her closer. She pulled away a little for some air and looked him straight in the eye.

"You're still here… waiting… _patiently_."

Draco stared at her for a moment before rolling off of her and lying on his back, taking in a deep breath and closing his eyes.

"Not that patiently," he muttered to himself. Ginny rolled over on her side and looked down at him, her eyes roving over his pale cheeks and seducing lips. She longed to see his eyes again, but instead she contented herself with just staring at him. She couldn't help but reach up and touch his face, running her fingers along his jaw down his neck and to his bare chest that rose and fell slowly. She let her hand rest over his heart and her heart nearly leapt from her chest when she felt his heart beating quickly under his skin.

"Are you afraid of me?" she asked quietly. His eyes opened slowly and he stared up at her for a moment before closing them again.

"No."

"Your heart begs to differ."

"You're imagining things."

"You're in denial."

Draco snatched her hand fiercely, pulling her down onto his chest. Her surprised eyes met his emotionless ones before he pulled her closer and kissed her heatedly, his hands encircling her waist to hold her close.

"Draco," she whispered into his lips. "What time is it?"

"Ten."

"Ten!" Ginny gasped pulling away. "I have to go."

"No you don't," Draco muttered, watching as she pulled herself up so that she was now straddling him. She looked around quickly, searching for her clothes. He took that time to take in her wonderfully petite and beautiful body. Once again that primeval urge to strip away her bra and knickers and make love to her began to surface in him and it took everything that went against his nature not to do so.

"They're going to notice that I'm gone!"

"It's a Saturday, Weasley," Draco grumbled, closing his eyes as she leaned over him to grab her wand which was resting under his pillow with his own.

"So. I promised I'd hang out with them. They're going to be waiting for me… and someone's going to notice _you_ missing," she muttered, summoning her clothes with the flick of a wand. Draco snatched her wand from her and stuffed it back under his pillow.

"Granger can cover for you and _I_ don't need to be seen by anyone. I stay in late on Saturdays all the time," he said, throwing her clothes back onto the floor.

"I'd prefer not to rely on Hermione, my brother and Harry to keep a perfectly coordinated lie going for the entire morning if that's all right with you," she said, giving him a swift kiss before she moved to get off of him, but he grabbed her arm, a strange look on his face.

"I don't beg, Weasley," he whispered and her eyes widened for a moment. She bit her lip, contemplating the meaning of his words. Something deep inside of her wanted to flee, not because she didn't want to be near him, but because she knew that being near him brought more danger in to her life than she wanted. But she quickly shoved that thought aside and sighed, allowing him to pull her back down on top of him.

"I suppose a few hours can't hurt," she muttered. Draco ran a hand over her face, staring at her with a look Ginny didn't recognize.

"I missed you," he whispered and Ginny's heart constricted painfully in her chest. She felt her eyes sting and she tried her best not to cry as she leaned in and kissed him, knowing this would be the closest he would ever come to an affirmation of his feelings for her.

"I love you too."

* * *

They spent the first two hours of the morning snogging each other senseless, taking small breaks in between of course to catch their breaths. However, though they had enjoyed it very much, they spent the other few hours lounging about on Draco's bed, either sleeping or speaking quietly about nothing.

Draco was currently dozing quietly while Ginny lay by his side, reading a rather funny memo Hermione had sent zooming through Draco's window only a few moments earlier. Hermione was telling Ginny how she and a very upset Ron and Harry had to make up excuses for Ginny's unexcused absence. Ron had sent another memo earlier, giving Draco a very rude warning about touching Ginny. Draco had tossed it.

Now, Ginny spent some time just watching him sleep, her eyes moving down from his emotionless face down to his bare, pale chest moving up and down slowly. She leaned in and kissed him right below his navel, her eyes on his face the entire time. He stirred, but he didn't move, so she began to leave a trail of kisses up his chest, stopping at his collarbone and nibbling on his skin as she moved herself so that she was straddling him. She dipped her head under his chin, nipping his skin playfully until she felt his hand move up to her face and pull her up to his lips. They kissed for a moment before he pulled away and breathed deeply as if he were falling back to sleep.

"I'm trying to rest," he muttered as she hovered over him.

"And I'm trying to kiss you," she whispered before kissing him again. Draco took her face in his hand and kissed her heatedly, running his other hand down her side and across her back to the other side of her before he quickly flipped her over on her back with one fluid movement, leaving her breathless as he closed his eyes with a smirk on her face.

"I'm trying to rest," he said again and Ginny remained silent, watching him from her spot next to him. She reached out and touched his face gently. He reached out and took her hand from his face, pulling her hand to his chest and rubbing the back of her hand with his thumb. Ginny continued to just watch him for a while, wondering how, under all of that icy, manipulative, arrogant, inconsiderate fortress that was Draco Malfoy, he could be the wittiest, gentlest, sexiest, smartest young man she ever had the unfortunate pleasure of falling in love with…

Ginny smiled when she saw Draco's owl come through the small window and land on its perch on the desk. She pulled away from Draco and moved over to the edge of the bed, lying on her stomach and staring at the big black bird.

"He's beautiful," she whispered. Draco opened his eyes lazily and watched her for a moment before he moved over to her, lying beside her. He leaned in and kissed her shoulder, running his hand down her back.

"So are you," he whispered. Ginny rolled her eyes.

"What's his name again?"

"Judas."

Ginny rolled her eyes again.

"And you talk about Dean having no imagination," she muttered, holding out her hand. "Judas."

The bird stared at her for a moment before it turned its head to Draco, as if asking for permission. Draco nodded and the large bird flapped over to the bed and landed right in front of Ginny. She watched the owl carefully before she reached out and stroked its feathers.

"You're a beautiful boy, aren't you," she said. Draco smirked, leaving a string of kisses down her shoulder and back.

"The last girl who said that to him got her hand shredded," he mumbled into her skin. "The evening didn't go too well after that."

Ginny glanced over her shoulder before turning back to the bird, scratching the bird under his wings.

"I wonder why?"

"I never understood why she started screaming at me though? She made it seem as if I was the problem and not the bird," he muttered, breathing in her heavenly scent as she laughed.

"You're master's an arse isn't he?" she asked the large owl.

"I am not."

"He's also in denial."

"I am not."

Ginny started giggling, pointing to Judas.

"I think he's agreeing with me," she said and Draco looked up to see the bird bobbing its head up and down. He scowled.

"Traitor," he muttered, waving his hand towards the bird so that it was forced to fly back to its perch. Ginny shook her head and turned a little to see him beside her.

"You name your bird Judas and you're surprised?"

Draco shook his head, kissing her down her jaw.

"Not surprised, just a bit disturbed that he's taken to you so fast."

Ginny propped herself up on her elbow so that she could have a better view of him.

"You have a problem with how fast he's taken to me?"

Draco smirked and kissed her right on the lips.

"Personally, I don't know why he would find you so appealing," he said.

Ginny looked him straight in the eye.

"Why do _you_ find me so appealing?" she asked quietly. Draco raised an eyebrow.

"What sort of question is that?"

Ginny shrugged, waving her hand around flippantly.

"You have practically shagged the _entire_ female population of this school, Draco. Every girl, save a select few, falls to your feet begging for more yet you're here with me. Your enemy's younger sister, your father's worst nightmare, your House's enemy and the one girl who won't let you shag her."

"When you say it like that, you make it sound as if you don't have even a single piece of allurement in the world," he commented.

"Answer the question, Draco," Ginny replied.

Draco stared at her for a moment before he began to run his hand down her side, across her ribs and the side of her stomach.

"There are twenty-three girls that I haven't shagged to be more precise. Twenty-one of them I have no interest in shagging, fifteen because they happen to be Gryffindors," he muttered. "Of course this list of girls only starts from fifth year. I don't shag anything younger. That would just be wrong."

Ginny raised an eyebrow, watching his movements with slight amusement.

"At least you're honest… Who's the other girl?" she asked, genuinely curious. Draco smirked.

"You actually want to know who I have an interest in shagging other than you?" he asked. Ginny shrugged.

"I'd like to shake the hands of the girls who have resisted your seduction," she replied. Draco rolled his eyes.

"Lovegood."

Ginny's eyes bulged.

"Luna! You want to shag Luna!"

Draco shook his head.

"_No_, I don't _want_ to shag her," he snapped, making her feel much better. "I just said that I had an interest in her is all. She's the most unusual thing I've ever met… you on the other hand," he said, looking her straight in the eyes. "I've never wanted to shag anyone more in my life than I want to right now."

Ginny stared at him for a moment, a slow blush creeping onto her face.

"Is that a compliment?"

He didn't answer for a while and when he finally did, his voice was unusually quiet.

"Yes."

They lay there in silence for what seemed like forever, Draco because he had nothing more to say and Ginny because she was so overwhelmed by his self-constraint. She had heard stories last year about how Draco had actually taken matters into his own hands when the girl had gotten hesitant. Not that the girl had complained in the end.

Ginny was just a bit confused though as to how she had managed to unearth a completely different Draco Malfoy than the ones from the sex stories that she had been subjected to ever since she was a third year.

"You never answered the question, Draco," she whispered.

Draco's hand rested on her hip and his thumb ran over her pelvis bone, his eyes following the motion with a studying gaze. For a moment, he contemplated telling her the truth… the truth that even he had managed to keep himself ignorant to until recently. However, he settled for telling her a superficial truth that had emerged the moment their lips had touched for the first time.

"You don't put up a fight," he murmured.

"You find me appealing because I'm a push-over?" she asked incredulously. Draco leaned in and kissed the spot where his thumb had been caressing.

"No, I find you appealing because I've been able to explore you," he whispered, kissing her up her side and resting at her ribs. "Every other girl just wants a story to tell… to say that Draco Malfoy told them that they were beautiful… that Draco Malfoy left marks in places that most people will _never_ see…" He rolled his eyes, irritated at all the excuses he could think of. "All they're after is the story… It's all just a silly girl waiting for her one night of fame… what I want is the experience… and you…" Ginny watched him run his hands over her ribs repeatedly, his lips hovering over her skin as if contemplating whether or not to kiss her again. He looked so mesmerized all of a sudden that Ginny remained still, waiting until he made another move. The only other move was that his finger brushed the hem of her knickers intentionally. "You're one night I don't mind waiting for…"

"And that night will come…" Ginny whispered, catching his eyes. Her cheeks flushed, but she felt and looked more certain than anything. "Someday it will…" A small smile actually appeared on her face as she said the next words. "Hopefully it'll be more than one night after that…"

When he just stared at her, Ginny couldn't help but lean in and kiss him, moving her lips against his with the intent to convey the promise she had just made to him. He moved closer to her and pushed her back so that he was partially on top of her, one of his hands still resting on her hip while the other went to the back of her head, supporting her as they both began to slip away from reality. Their lips moved against each other heatedly, their bodies burning and pushing together with a passion they both felt. Ginny pulled away, gasping for breath. Draco took that time to move away from her mouth down to her neck and collarbone. He then leaned in and kissed the skin between her breasts, causing her back to arch in ecstasy as he continued to kiss her tantalizingly.

Ginny couldn't take it any more. She needed to feel his lips again, the loss of him becoming almost unbearable. Draco moved further down her body and kissed her stomach, his tongue darting into her navel, causing her to whimper, her chest heaving as inaudible pleas escaped her lips. Finally, he answered her, his lips moving up until they were hovering over her lips, taunting her. His hands were resting firmly on either side of her hips making sure that she didn't move as he leaned in to recapture her lips in his.

As he kissed her, Ginny heard a far away jingling coming from the slightly open window and had a feeling it was coming from some of the horses Hagrid took care of. That's when she remembered something from the woods that she had been meaning to ask him for a while.

"Draco," she mumbled against his lips.

"What?" he muttered. She pulled away for some air before she asked her question.

"What was your last memory of Christmas? That lady in the woods… she mentioned something about your last memory of Christmas," she whispered.

Draco stared down at her for a moment, images of that night bombarding him once again. Everything he had forced out of his mind because of its absurdity was now becoming more real with every moment that he spent with her. Before, he had forbidden himself from connecting his relationship with her now with what had happened that Christmas, but ever since Carter had told him about his father's plan, all he could think about was that night.

"The last Christmas I spent with my parents… Voldemort was there," he whispered, causing Ginny to grow still beneath him. "A… a man arrived… he came with his wife and daughter and tried to kill Voldemort. Voldemort told Lucius to kill the man in the worst possible way."

"What happened?"

Draco ran a hand down her side pensively.

"Lucius got his daughter and wife and tortured them… until the man broke down sobbing." At this point he stopped for a moment and for the first time in her life, she saw his cheeks grow slightly red, but even that was a stark contrast from his normally pale skin.

_Is he embarrassed?_ Ginny thought quietly, waiting for him to continue.

"Lucius then killed them," he finished quickly.

Ginny stared up at him, horror in her brown eyes.

"That's horrible," she whispered. Draco let out a dark laugh.

"That's Lucius… He killed the man shortly after," he finished grimly, his loathing for his father intensifying temporarily before he shoved his hateful emotions down. Ginny frowned.

"But what does that have to do with now?"

Draco looked down at her, his eyes going over her soft features with an intensity she had never seen before.

"He's going to try to do that to me," he whispered.

_Again_, he added silently.

"How?" she asked.

Draco met her eyes.

"Through you… and I don't think it will work," he replied with a certainty only a Malfoy could have.

She watched him for a while, noticing how his eyes had grown darker since the discussion had started. She reached up and ran a hand down his face.

"But he knows…"

Draco shook his head, leaning in and kissing the corners of her mouth.

"He won't do anything to you until he has absolute proof," he whispered. "He can't kill you…"

Suddenly a question popped up in Ginny's head and against her better judgment, she asked it.

"When did you first kill someone?" she asked quietly. He grew tense for a moment before he rolled over on his back and closed his eyes. He was silent for so long that Ginny was afraid she had just destroyed everything.

"I was thirteen when I first learned how to use the killing curse," he whispered. "I was fifteen when I actually did use it."

"On who?"

"You know the Minister's son, who died a couple of years ago from a Death Eater attack?"

"That was you?"

Draco nodded, opening his eyes and looking over at her.

"The little prick was one of us, actually. He got scared and tried to leave."

"You stopped him?"

Draco shook his head.

"Lucius stopped him. _I_ saved him," he muttered. Ginny's eyes widened and she remained quiet for a long time. Draco could see the wheels turning in her head as she looked at him. Then her eyes turned to his arm and she bit her lip.

"Why didn't you take the Mark?"

To her surprise, Draco began to chuckle. He turned on his side to face her properly and pointed his finger at her.

"You want to know why my parents want me dead?" he asked with a smirk. Ginny frowned.

"Why?" she asked shakily.

Draco's eyes suddenly darkened and he looked over to the window.

"Because, Weasley, when I die, I want my crimes to be my own," he said. "Not because some psychopath is trying to create an ultimate race or because of my bastard of a father, who just wants everyone dead."

Ginny stared at him for a moment before she sat up and let out an unsteady breath. She pulled the sheets up to her chest tightly, as if protecting herself from a reality that had crashed through the window. Draco watched her for a moment before smiling and closing his eyes again.

"You think I'm evil for thinking that way?"

Ginny turned to look down at him.

"No, I think that killing people on your own terms doesn't make it any better," she said angrily. "Just because someone else didn't give the orders doesn't make you any better than Voldemort _or_ your father!"

Draco's hand shot up so fast that Ginny barely had time to blink before she found herself struggling to breath as Draco's bruising grip cut off her oxygen supply. Draco stood up and pulled her up to him, his eyes blazing dangerously.

"Don't you _ever_ compare me to my father," he hissed, his voice shaking with hatred.

"You might as well be your father!" she screamed. She didn't know why she was saying these things. She knew they weren't true, but the anger that she was feeling at the moment was bringing out words she would not otherwise say. She could see the hatred in Draco's blazing eyes and knew he wasn't thinking properly. He probably didn't even know what he was doing. "The only difference between you two is that he has that Mark!"

His hand came fast and it came hard. There was a moment when Ginny was actually able to breathe as she hit the side of the bed, dazed and smarting. She managed to pull herself up on all fours, keeping her head down as she gasped for air.

"With the way you treat women, you could be Warrington also," she growled.

Draco's fist nearly crushed her throat. Somewhere deep inside of him, something was telling him that this wasn't any ordinary person. This was Ginny he was hurting. But all he could see was all that he hated and all that he hated in that moment was his father. And all he wanted to do in that moment was strangle his father. Kill his father…

Ginny, in a last ditch attempt to survive, struck out with her hand and caught him in the face with her nails. He released her immediately and she fell off the bed in a heap of gasping sweat and pain. It took her a moment to realize that her attack on Draco was only temporary, so she scrambled across the floor, not looking where she was going. So, instead of going to the exit, she went into the bathroom. It was then that the weakness overcame her. She realized that she hadn't taken her replenishers. She was about to run out of the bathroom when he yanked her up by her hair and slammed her into the wall, causing her to yelp in pain.

"Shut up," he growled, smashing her into the wall again, causing her to scream louder. She could feel the blood begin to trickle down the back of her neck as the waves of pain flooded her.

"Dra-"

"_Shut up!_" he snapped, his voice shaking with rage and maybe even a little bit of madness. She could see it in his eyes. She could see the very darkness that had taken over Harry when his time with Voldemort drew closer. "Shut up!"

Ginny knew he was going to kill her. She knew he _wanted_ to kill her, not because of who she was, but because of who he _thought_ she was.

Everything inside her wanted to die the moment she saw him point his wand at her.

"_Cru-_"

"Draco please!" she cried suddenly, tears coming to her eyes as she struggled to stand properly. "It's me, Ginny! Don't do this!"

It was as if her weak and terrified voice as shattered the hatred in him. He paused for a moment, as if realizing who she was. She heard his wand clatter to the ground and she saw him move forward. She shrunk back into the wall when she saw his hand move up to her face. He was still for a moment before he grabbed her face. She let out a cry of pain before his lips collided with hers. At first she fought, biting and shoving him away as the tears continued to spill down her cheeks. Her neck throbbed with pain and she didn't want him touching her again but as his onslaught continued, she found herself becoming weaker from lack of replenishers. She ended up grasping his shoulders for support as he continued to kiss her fiercely, her knees growing weak by the second. Both of them were drowning in each other, but they couldn't pull away; Ginny because she didn't have the strength and Draco because he didn't want to. Draco finally moved away from her lips down to her neck, kissing and biting her skin aggressively, forcing helpless cries from her lips.

"Draco," she gasped, trying desperately to maintain both breath and consciousness. Draco's taller, stronger frame was pressing against her small body and was overwhelming her physically and emotionally as she began to slowly fade into him, while he slowly began to lose himself in her…

_**BANG!**_

Draco pulled away from Ginny to look over at the door where the noise had come from. Suddenly the bedroom door blew open and the room was flooded with hooded figures rushing in, wands waving. Draco reached down and grabbed his wand, eyes blazing.

"Bloody tossers," he growled before moving out of the bathroom.

"There he is!"

Suddenly the whole room lit up with lights as curses were fired back and forth. Ginny screamed when one of the figures ran into the bathroom to avoid a curse.

"Weasley!?" the person shouted in surprise, pointing the wand at her. "So this is Malfoy's dirty little secret."

Ginny grabbed the first thing that she could, a painting on the wall, and smashed it into the person's head. She made a dash for the door, but the person grabbed her around the waist and dragged her backwards. She tripped over the rug on the floor and came crashing down into the large tub behind her, hitting her head on the marble rim. Pain shot down her back and she screamed when the man jumped into the tub and landed on one of her legs. The man reached out and grabbed her roughly by the hair, slamming the side of her face back into the rim. Ginny cried out in agony as blood trickled down her brow and into her eyes, clouding her view as she struggled feebly against her attacker.

"Draco!" she sobbed weakly before the man grabbed a towel from the side of a tub and shoved it in her face, cutting off her breathing completely. She tried to fight off the attacker, but he punched her in the side a few times, causing her to fade in and out of consciousness.

"_AVADA KERDAVA!_"

The hooded person fell on top of her, limp and lifeless. Ginny was finally able to breathe and pulled herself out from under the body, shaking terribly from fear. Draco reached out and took her by the arm, helping her out of the tub and carrying her back out to the bedroom. He placed her down on the bed, shoved some clothes into her hands and went to the other side of the room. Ginny grabbed her throbbing head in agony, looked around the room and gasped.

"Oh my God," she whispered weakly, looking over the limp bodies. Draco was by his closet, getting dressed quickly. "Are they all dead?"

"Get dressed, Weasley."

"Are they all dead?"

"Get dressed," Draco repeated tersely, not in the mood for her questions. He fixed the robes he had on and shoved his wand in his pocket.

"_Are they all dead_?"

Draco noticed that she was completely pale and shaking, so he moved over to her quickly, grabbing her bleeding face.

"We need to get you to the Hospital Wing," he growled, pulling her up off the bed and helping her to the door.

"Are they all dead?" she demanded again, yanking her arm out of his grip with a strength that defied her current situation.

Draco grabbed her robes from her hands and shoved them on her quickly.

"You need to get those potions," Draco hissed, pushing her to the door.

"_Are they dead_?!" Ginny suddenly yelled, her eyes still on the bodies. Her overexertion finally caught up to her however and she sunk to the ground, too weak to continue.

Draco grabbed her quickly and carried her down the stairs. Ginny wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned into him, trying desperately to stay conscious for both their sakes.

If Draco turned up in the Hospital Wing with her being unconscious, it would be really bad.

"Draco," she whispered. "I can't hold on much longer."

Draco nodded, opening the portrait entrance to his private quarters. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw what was outside.

Dumbledore, Snape, McGonagall, the Minister of Magic as well as five Aurors that Draco could see were standing right outside, looking very concerned and even shocked.

"Ginny Weasley?"

It was right then that Ginny passed out.

**A/N: I took back what I said about Chapter 13. _THIS_ chapter is the longest chapter I've ever written. _23_ pages! Very long and very interesting to write. It started out without the Luna/Blaise scene, but after people started asking about a reunion, I decided to add it just for a break. To do that, I had to add the first scene with Draco's thoughts. I think it turned out nicely if I do say so myself. I hope you all thought the same way, because from here on out, things are going to get... "_hairy"_? Ha, ha ha! Get it! Hairy! Harry! Ha, ha, ha! **

**Crickets...**

**You all think I'm crazy now.**

**Well, _I_ thought it was funny.**

nextbestthing: But that wouldn't be interesting and that would go against everything I built up about Draco. Primarily the part about him being selfish and anti-hero.

Skepo: I loved writing the remarks. I love writing these snogging sessions because it's less about the passion and more about the communication between the two, which is _sooo_ much different from the Ron/Hermione fics I write where the sessoins are all about the passion and have nothing to do with communication.

BeachBummm227: I'm glad you like it!

hpfreaklol: I'll do my best!

snowfire81: Thank you!

PhoenixTalons: I hope you enjoy this one as well!

mrsronweasley2113: I didn't know my story was so liked, but I'm glad you and your friend are enjoying it so much. It's nice to know.

**Chapter TEase: I'm sorry I can't give you one right now. My internet access is limited and my other chapters are on another computer so I can't grab an exerpt right now. But hang tight! I'll update soon enough. I'm currently writing chapter 26, so I am ahead of the game. I'm just not ahead in terms of updating. **


	21. Drawing the Short End of the Stick

_Parting is all we know of heaven and all we need of hell._ **-****Emily Dickinson**

* * *

"I think she's waking up."

Ginny groaned and raised her hands to her head, rubbing her forehead in pain. She blinked rapidly to become accustomed to the light before she looked around, thoroughly confused. Hermione and her mother were at her side while her brothers, father and Harry were standing around her bed, staring at her with concern.

"Where am I?" she asked hoarsely, coughing a little to clear her throat. "What's going on?"

Mrs. Weasley grabbed her daughter's hand tightly.

"Oh Ginny, are you feeling better?" she asked quickly, reaching out and feeling Ginny's forehead for a temperature. "Are you still in pain?"

Ginny frowned.

"Just a little, but where am I?"

"St. Mungos," Hermione whispered, watching Mrs. Weasley with apprehension. "It's Sunday and it's nine o'clock at night. You've been unconscious since yesterday afternoon."

"Are you okay now, Gin?" Mr. Weasley asked.

Ginny shrugged.

"A bit better… how did I get here, Dad?"

Her father pointed out the door.

"Dumbledore brought you here," he said. "We haven't been told what happened before."

"You don't think it has anything to do with those dead students they found?" Fred asked.

Ginny paled visibly and Hermione took her hand.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

Before Ginny could answer, the door to the room opened and Dumbledore stepped in, McGonagall close behind him. He looked happy to see Ginny.

"Ah good, you're awake!" he exclaimed. "I hope you're feeling much better."

Ginny shrugged again.

"I've been better."

Dumbledore nodded knowingly and turned to Mr. Weasley.

"Is it alright if I speak to Ginny alone for a moment? I have to discuss what happened with her."

Mrs. Weasley stood up suddenly.

"Why should we leave? We have every right to know what happened to her," she said. "Why shouldn't we know?"

McGonagall held up her hand.

"Please, Molly. Ginny's involvement is much deeper than you know. I think it would be better if we talked to her first before you were informed," she said calmly. Bill frowned.

"What do you mean, 'deeper than we know'? Does this have something to do with those deaths?" he asked skeptically.

"Molly, please," Dumbledore said. "We just need to speak to her."

Ginny silently willed her family to leave the room, but they didn't. Instead they looked even more upset.

"No," Arthur said, frowning. "Albus, if this has something to do with those dead kids I need to know how my daughter is involved. You can't kick me out and you know that."

Dumbledore glanced over at Ginny before sighing.

"Yes, I know, Arthur… but all of you must be silent until I am done talking to Ginny. This will be hard enough without her family jumping at her throat," he said.

Fred and George frowned.

"Why would it be-"

They were silenced by a stern look from McGonagall. Dumbledore turned to Ginny, who had paled considerably despite the fact that she had taken her potions.

"Ginny, first of all-"

"Is he in trouble?" Ginny suddenly asked, confusing everyone except for those who knew about Draco. Dumbledore looked surprised for a moment before he nodded slowly.

"That's why I've come here, Ginny. We need you to tell us what happened this morning," he said. Ginny's face suddenly went completely red and she bit her lip.

"I can't," she muttered.

"What's going on? What are you talking about?" Mrs. Weasley demanded. "Albus, tell me what's going on!"

Dumbledore turned to Mrs. Weasley.

"The fifteen students found dead were attacking Draco Malfoy in the Head Boy's room."

Everyone's eyes widened.

"He killed fifteen students…" Ron repeated, his eyes turning to Ginny with very deep concern. The others still didn't get it.

"What does this have to do with Ginny?" Mr. Weasley demanded.

McGonagall motioned to Ginny.

"Ginny was there when it happened."

Dumbledore turned to Ginny.

"You need to tell me what happened so I can tell the Ministry."

"He's at the Ministry!" Ginny yelped, sitting up completely in her bed. "He was only trying to protect me!"

"Wait a minute!" Mrs. Weasley shouted, looking confused. "What's going on?!"

"Ginny was with Malfoy all morning doing God knows what when they were ambushed by those students. Ginny must not have taken her blood replenishers, which is why she passed out."

"Ron!" Ginny yelled, glaring at him.

"WHAT?!"

There was a moment in which no one said a word as everyone stared at Ginny. She fidgeted for a moment before she looked down at her sheets, embarrassed and defeated.

"I was with Draco this morning," she mumbled.

"What?"

"I was with him this morning," she muttered.

"What did she say?"

"I was with Draco Malfoy this morning!"

"Oh my God!"

Her mother and father just stared at her as if she had lost her mind. Her brothers on the other hand all turned to Ron, who suddenly looked as if he wished he weren't there.

"You knew?!" Charlie growled.

"It's not his fault!" Ginny snapped, glaring at them. "So leave him alone. Draco and I are seeing each other so you better get used to it. As for what happened, they came barging into the bedroom. I was unarmed so Draco went out…" Her eyes suddenly became tearful. "He was only trying to protect me, Dumbledore."

"Oh my God," Mrs. Weasley whispered again as she continued to stare at her daughter. Dumbledore nodded.

"I'll be back soon," he said before leaving. McGonagall looked between Ginny and her family and frowned.

"Please be easy on her. She's already gone through enough," the professor said before leaving as well.

Hermione gave Ginny's hand a squeeze.

"Are you feeling better now?"

"You knew too!" Fred and George yelped.

Ginny wiped her eyes angrily.

"All three of them knew," she muttered.

There was a brief silence then Mr. Weasley finally spoke.

"Ginny… when?"

"September," she whispered. "Maybe even before then."

Fred and George looked repulsed.

"But… he's a-"

"Malfoy? A Slytherin?"

"A prick," Bill snapped, glaring at her. "Why the bloody hell would you allow yourself to be screwed over by that-"

"NO ONE SCREWED ME!" Ginny screamed. "Draco's never touched me nor will he _ever_ do so! So piss off! All of you!"

Bill was about to say something when Mrs. Weasley suddenly pushed him to the door, looking terrified of her daughter.

"Let's leave Ginny alone. She's in a very fragile state and needs some rest."

"I agree," Ron muttered, heading for the exit. "Ow!"

Mrs. Weasley got a hold of Ron's ear and squeezed it tightly.

"Oh no you don't. You three have a lot of explaining to do," she growled, shooting looks over to Harry and Hermione, letting them know that they were in no way exempt from her wrath.

The moment they were all outside and Ginny's door was closed, every brother slapped Ron across the head and Fred and George even hit Harry in the arm.

"Ouch! What the hell?!" Ron yelped, rubbing the back of his head in pain.

"How long have you three known?" Mrs. Weasley demanded.

Harry pointed to Ron and Hermione.

"I only found out the night Ginny was attacked," he said.

The whole family turned to two expectantly and both of them turned red with embarrassment. Ron glanced over at the door before he spoke.

"Well… I… I found out when…"

"Malfoy and Ginny were in the Prefect bathroom. Warrington attacked Ginny and Malfoy knocked him out. When we came in, it looked like… well it looked bad," Hermione finished, shooting a look over at Ron, who looked terrified that his brothers would hit him again. "I found out earlier in the year."

"Why didn't you-"

"Because they were happy!" Hermione snapped, feeling a bit angry that the family was so hard to accepting this. "Ginny's happy with Malfoy, no matter how messed up the relationship may seem! And he's protected her more times than I can say!"

"But he's-"

"We all know what he is! He's an egotistical, calculating, cold-hearted, murdering bastard, but he's the man your daughter is in love with," Hermione hissed, stunning them all. "So I suggest you all stop attacking him."

With that said, she went back into the room in a huff. Ginny looked up when Hermione came in and smiled.

"I heard what you said, Hermione," she said.

Hermione blushed.

"Well… its true isn't it?"

Ginny hesitated for a moment before nodding silently.

"That's nice to know."

Both girls turned to see Draco Malfoy standing in the corner, looking a little less than perfect. His hair was out of place and he had one black eye. There were four red scratches on his cheek where Ginny has struck him earlier.

"Draco," she gasped. "How-"

"I don't really have time to discuss how I'm _here_ instead of at the Ministry… _Granger_," he added, giving her a clear hint that he wanted her gone. Hermione glanced between the two before she nodded silently and left.

"I'll stall for time," she told them before closing the door. Ginny turned to Draco.

"Draco, what-"

"My father's going to come after you," Draco whispered quietly, eyes on the wall opposite him.

Ginny's insides froze and her mind shut down as those words of death echoed around the room. She could feel the blood drain from her body and knew she was starting to tremble.

"What?"

Draco looked over at her. He could see the bandages where he had hurt her and knew that no matter what he did or said, nothing was going to change what he had already done to her… what he was going to do to her…

"He's going to come after you…"

Ginny's heart broke in that moment. Everything he had ever wanted to say to her was summed up in the look he gave her just then. Every moment they had spent shattered into millions of pieces on the floor below them as she grasped the meaning of his words.

She sat there for a moment before she spoke.

"You killed those students…"

"Yes."

"Why?"

Draco stood there for a while, silent and foreboding, leaving Ginny with a feeling that something bad was happening even as he stood there.

"Because I'm tired…"

When Ginny didn't respond, Draco knew she knew what he meant.

He was tired of being attacked. He was tired of the persona. He was tired of being _the_ Draco Malfoy and he was tired of living like this… He was tired of loving a ghost…

If those students were dead, Lucius would know that Draco was serious about this… that he wasn't backing down any longer…

Ginny took a deep breath and looked down at her hands.

"What am I supposed to do?" she asked as her mind started shutting down from fear.

"Stay close to the Golden Trio," he said, even now hating the words that were coming out of his mouth. "You'll be safer with them."

"I've been safer with you."

"Don't," Draco growled from his spot in the corner. "Don't."

Ginny looked up.

"Draco-"

"I said don't!" he barked, glaring at her for a moment before he looked away again. "I need you to take care of Rayne," he murmured in a much calmer, more restrained voice. "The other four aren't going to be able to do that."

"Of course I'll take care of her…" Ginny murmured, silently begging for him to look at her. But he wouldn't. Instead, he moved towards the door. Ginny frowned. "Why did you come here?"

Draco stopped, his body tense and his hands curled into fists. He remained quiet for a moment before speaking.

"What did he say to you, before he cursed you?"

Ginny bit her lip as the memory of that night flooded her.

"He said that… that you'd let rather let someone be tortured than let them die," she whispered.

He was silent for a second before he took a deep breath.

"I hope you remember that," he whispered.

Ginny stared at him for a moment before she jumped out of her bed and went over to him. Having heard her, he turned around and before she knew it, she was up against the wall, his lips moving against hers almost desperately. That's when she started crying silently. She didn't want to cry in front of him… she didn't want to cry at all. She had spent so many tears over one young man… she didn't want to cry anymore…

Yet here she was, weeping into his kisses like a wife would if she knew she would never see her husband again.

Draco's arms wrapped around her, crushing her body to his as their mouths moved against each other, aggressive and fiery. Ginny ran her hands up and down his arms, wanting to memorize every muscle, before she ended up in his blonde hair, pulling his lips closer to hers. Their mouths battled to get as much out of this as possible, both very aware that this was the last time…

Draco kissed her harder as he tasted the salty tears that ran down her face. Tears he was responsible for… Those tears brought so many feelings crawling through his body that he could no longer think clearly. All he could hear was screaming from somewhere within his chest as he fought to retain some sense of the old Draco Malfoy… the Draco who would have never gotten himself caught… the Draco who would have never fallen in love with a Weasley…

His lips left hers, moving down her jaw and down her neck, his teeth grazing her burning skin as it went, longing for the taste of her. The scent of cinnamon and apples filled his nostrils as her hair fell around her neck, consuming him with more need…

At this point all Draco wanted to do was forget everything that had happened and disappear with her. All he wanted was to get lost in her. Get lost and never return. Never had he felt so much in so little time… never had he allowed himself to get so close that it ended up being the death of him… Yet here he was, dying with every moment he spent kissing her.

As he kissed her neck, his hands dove under her shirt, caressing her smooth skin. Ginny held him close, gasping as his hands ran over her body.

"Draco… please," she begged.

That one word snapped him back to the reality he had created for himself. Everything he had told himself not to be was in that one word. Everything she would want from him was everything he couldn't be…

"I'm not the hero, Weasley," he whispered into her skin. "I can't save you."

Ginny's wide eyes met his as the meaning of his words sunk in fully. She reached up and touched his face.

"I know," she murmured, closing her eyes when he kissed her again. More tears fell down her cheeks as her heart continued to shatter…

Draco pulled her close for a moment, kissing her fervently before he pulled away and leaned into her neck, taking deep breaths as he cleared his mind.

Something within him told him to tell her the truth… to tell her that he cared about her… even loved her… but that wasn't a possibility any more. The time for those words had come and gone and now all that was left were meaningless words.

"Damn it, Weasley," he growled into her skin before pulling away and disapparating.

* * *

Hermione quickly walked over to where Harry and Ron were standing, staring at Ron's family who were still speaking amongst themselves about the new development. She took a hold of Ron's arm and shook him a little.

"You wouldn't believe who's here," she hissed, glancing behind her frequently to make sure that the Weasleys didn't decide to go into Ginny's room. Ron automatically knew.

"He escaped?" he whispered and Hermione nodded quickly, looking extremely nervous.

"I don't know how he got in, but he was in a hurry to speak to Ginny," she told the two.

Harry looked alarmed.

"You left her in there with him?!"

"Shh!" Hermione hissed, shooting him a look before taking a deep breath. "He wouldn't hurt her, Harry. You know that."

"But he's still dangerous," Harry snapped. "He _did_ kill those students, Hermione." Hermione puffed up.

"Look Harry-"

"Why would he come?"

The two stared at Ron as if he'd just grown three more eyes.

"What?" Harry asked.

Ron shrugged.

"Why would he come to see her? You'd think he'd know that this would be the first place people would look if he went missing," he said, eyes on Ginny's door. Hermione frowned, looking beyond Ron and Harry.

"Of course he knows that. I think the entire wizarding world knows that," she whispered, pointing behind them. The two turned around and moved quickly out of the way when the Minister of Magic along with Dumbledore and at least thirty other people, including a couple of people carrying cameras, came marching down the hall towards the Weasleys.

"What's going on, Albus?" Mr. Weasley asked.

"Draco Malfoy escaped from the Ministry of Magic," Dumbledore said, though Hermione could have sworn she saw a glint of amusement in his eyes. Mrs. Weasley's eyes widened.

"Surely you don't think he's stupid enough to come here?!"

Dumbledore shook his head.

"Just the opposite, Molly. I think coming here is possibly the smartest thing he could ever do, now if you will," he said before opening the door. Ginny looked up from her place at the wall, her eyes red and puffy and tearstains glowing from her cheeks. She stood straighter when she saw her parents standing behind Dumbledore.

"He just left," she whispered shakily, lifting her head in a dignified fashion. "Can I go home now?"

**A/N:Oh well, now that they've got _that_ all out in the open...**

**nextbestthing****:** No, I wouldn't do anything to her! I'm not _that_ evil! :-)

**MeggyandHaku****:** I love intense! It's the best way to write a story. If you ever write one of these stories, make sure that every chapter after at least the fifth chapter is intense. That way you can keep people going, 'What the hell?! WHY?!" That's what I say and if the author's saying that, then you know something's either very right or very wrong. Then you should just stop reading. But don't stop reading. Please... pretty please?

**PhoenixTalons****:** It was my favorite chapter, I must say. As for the evil cliffhanger, I hope I didn't do that here. For this chapter, it wasn't really supposed to be cliffhangerish... just you know... a sort of ending to one reality.

**tamara72****:** I loved that to, but I must tell you that for the next few chapters, you're not going to see Luna anymore.

**hpfreaklol****:** I'll do my best.

**snowfire81****:** She's in love with Draco Malfoy, Lucius Malfoy wants her dead and she was Harry Potter's former girlfriend. Her life's going to suck.

**mrsronweasley2113****:** I'm glad you liked that chapter. I hope you like this chapter as well.

**I hope you guys are really enjoying this. I like writing this story, but I also like listening to what you guys _really _think about it. Also because I just like responding to you and I can't respond if all you write is, "luv it, update please!" **

**Some of you probably think I'm picking on you, and maybe I am (I don't like to beat around the bush if you havn't noticed). But I really just want to know what you really think instead of the proverbial "That was great/that sucked!"**

**So please, READ then REVIEW! And really review! PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE!**

**THANK YOU!**


	22. A Few Good Men and One Bad One

_Regret for the things we did can be tempered by time; it is regret for the things we did not do that is inconsolable._

**_-Sydney J. Harris_**

_

* * *

_It didn't take long for the entire magical community to find out that Draco Malfoy had not only been harboring Rayne Trevorton but had been having a rather heated affair with none other than Ginny Weasley. Since Draco Malfoy was currently missing with a warrant for his arrest, Ginny was the main object of the media. The press hounded St. Mungos and even the Burrow was subject to some intense paparazzi the moment Ginny was released for Christmas Break and had arrived at the Burrow with Rayne. The Weasleys finally resorted to having Dumbledore put up a few charms that caught intruders. The press left the Burrow alone.

Ginny spent the first days back from the hospital in her room either staring at the ceiling as she tried to ignore the arguing that went on downstairs or hanging out with Rayne, who had been one explanation she had avoided completely. Ever since her family had realized what was going on, they had had extreme reservations on how to deal with it. Though Ginny was their daughter, Draco was still a Malfoy. There was nothing that could change that. So they argued. Ginny didn't need to explain why she was suddenly taking care of one of the most sought after girl by the Death Eaters.

The Trio mostly tried to stay out of everyone's way. Neville had arrived shortly after Ginny, making it much easier for them. They were already not the most liked at the moment since they kept the information away from the family. Hermione took the time to update Neville on everything that had been going on, feeling that he deserved to know if he was going to stay here for a couple of weeks. Ginny chose to ignore the entire thing, which left her thinking about the one person she hated to think about at this point in time.

"Ginny!"

Opening her eyes at her father's voice, she sat up. On the bed next to her, Rayne was sleeping quietly. She went to the door and leaned out.

"What?"

"Come down here now!"

Ginny sighed and went downstairs. When she entered the kitchen, her whole family was in there, except Ron, who was conveniently upstairs in his room with Harry, Neville and Hermione, hiding from the twins. She stood by the door and clasped her hand behind her back, readying herself for what was to come.

Her mother spoke first.

"Why didn't you tell us about Malfoy?"

It was a simple question with so many complicated answers that Ginny chose the easiest one that would clearly explain the rest.

"Because it was Malfoy," she said.

"But how did you-"

"He started it!" Ginny snapped. "He kissed me and I… I fell in love, mum…"

"In love?"

The disgusted voice came from the twins, who had equally disgusted looks on their faces. Ginny bit her lip.

"Why is this so hard for you to understand?"

"Because it's Draco freaking Malfoy!" Bill snapped. "What do you expect us to do, Ginny? Throw a party and shake his hand?!"

"No! Because I'm your sister!" she yelled. "And I thought you would be behind me every step of the way… even if it did lead to him…"

There was a brief silence before Mr. Weasley spoke.

"He's not a good man, Ginny."

He didn't say it to be confrontational. He was just stating a fact. It was then that Ginny realized the toll this was taking on her father. This wasn't just about Draco. This was about what he stood for. This was about his father and how even before she was born the family had been the biggest threat to the Weasleys.

"And I'm not just talking about the people he's killed… we all know how he treats women-"

"He's never touched me, Dad," Ginny cut in quickly, her eyes stinging with unshed tears. "He… I know what he is… and I'll be the first to tell you that he's anything but perfect… but… we've never had sex… and…"

"He loves Ginny."

Ginny turned around to see Ron standing there, eyes on his family.

"Malfoy…" They could all see that it was hard for him to say these words, but he said them nonetheless for Ginny's sake. "Malfoy loves Ginny… and he's protected her since the beginning of the year, so leave her alone."

There was a brief silence in which they all just stared at Ron like he was crazy. The tears that had been threatening to spill out of Ginny's eyes finally fell down her cheeks and she threw herself onto Ron, hugging him tightly.

"Thank you, Ron," she whispered. "Thank you so much."

Ron hugged her back.

"Don't mention it," he muttered, pulling away. "_Seriously_, don't mention it… _ever_."

Ginny laughed and nodded, wiping at her eyes.

"Yeah… we wouldn't want all of Hogwarts finding out that you stood up for Draco would we?"

"_Draco?_"

Ginny sighed.

"I'd really prefer not to explain every aspect of my relationship with him to all of you," she said.

Mrs. Weasley walked over to her daughter and took her face in her hands.

"You really love him don't you?"

Ginny nodded, a smile on her face.

"I do… and don't worry… Ron already beat him up pretty badly, so you don't have to go assert your position as older brother to him," she told her other brothers, glancing over at Ron, who had a smile on his face as well.

"Best part of my year."

* * *

Warrington had been sitting in the same chair in Lucius Malfoy's private library for at least five hours. He was starting to get irritated. The house elf had said that the Malfoy would be in to see him in ten minutes. Neither the house elf nor _any_ blonde headed person entered the room since.

_You're needed here immediately._

That's what the note had told him before tearing itself to shreds. In all honesty, Warrington didn't even know why he was here. He had done what he was supposed to and found out so much more about Malfoy's precious son than anyone else could ever have done if they had interrogated the pompous bastard himself.

Warrington smirked.

It seems as if he wasn't the only one who had an interest in the little redheaded Gryffindor. The only difference was that Draco had hidden his interest much better than Warrington had.

No matter. Draco was a dead man anyway…

"Master Malfoy, sir!"

Warrington stood at the sound of the small house elf and turned to see Lucius Malfoy standing at the door, Narcissa right behind him.

"Ah Cole, I hope I didn't keep you waiting," Lucius said, moving across the room to his desk and sitting down. Narcissa took her place beside him. Cole shook his head, clasping his hands behind his back.

"Not at all," he said carefully, watching Lucius with extreme caution. The man nodded and looked down at a few files on his desk. He pulled out a picture from one of the files and held it up so that Warrington could see.

"A Weasley, Cole? A Weasley?" Lucius asked slowly, setting down the picture and holding up a newspaper clipping with another picture of Ginny Weasley on it. Cole was confused as to what the older man was trying to do, so he remained silent. Not the best idea.

"I'd start explaining myself if I were you," Narcissa whispered silkily, her cold grey eyes staring straight at him.

"What is there to explain? He was caught with her and-"

"_Crucio!_"

Warrington fell to the ground, screaming and writhing in excruciating pain as Lucius stood up from his desk and walked around it. He finally released the curse and Warrington remained on the floor, gasping and groaning. Lucius sighed.

"Come now, Cole, don't recite the Daily Prophet to me," he drawled. "I want to know how, for three months, you didn't notice my son screwing that blood traitor."

Warrington's eyes grew as he realized why he had been asked here.

"I couldn't have known!" he gasped. "Draco covered up his tracks-"

"I DON'T CARE WHAT DRACO DID! YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE WATCHING HIM!" Lucius roared before cursing the boy again. Narcissa watched her husband for a moment before speaking.

"Cole… over the past three months you've had your top man betray you, you've failed to retain Blaise Zabini, you've failed to keep watch on Draco, you've had your arse kicked by my son and now you just lost fifteen boys because of your half-assed attack on Draco's dormitory."

"We got him out of Hogwarts-"

This time there was no need for a wand. Narcissa grabbed the first thing she saw, a heavy crystal paper weight, and smashed it down on Warrington's head. The boy's head cracked against the marble floor and he no longer moved.

Narcissa stood up straight and fixed her hair, which had moved out of its normally perfect position. She then tossed the paper weight back onto the desk.

Lucius snapped his fingers and two house elves appeared.

"Dispose of this," he said, pointing to Warrington's lifeless form. The house elves nodded without blinking and with a crack they left with the body. Lucius turned to his wife. "We need to find Draco."

"How?"

Lucius was silent for a moment before he picked up the picture of Ginny.

"I suppose she could help."

* * *

"Can I sit here?"

Ginny looked up to see Harry watching her carefully. She smiled and nodded silently, turning back to staring at the woods. He sat down beside her and they fell into a comfortable silence as the snow continued to fall slowly, blanketing the backyard with a sense of mystery.

"Big day?"

Ginny smiled.

"You could say that," she whispered.

There was another silence, but this one was different. It was as if Ginny was waiting for Harry to say something else, but he didn't want to. So instead, she turned to him.

"You haven't said anything about it, you know," she said.

"Said anything about what?" Harry asked, though he knew exactly what she was talking about. She frowned.

"About Draco."

Harry flinched slightly at the mention of his first name, but he made no other movement for a few minutes after.

"What's there to say-"

"Oh come on, Harry… I know this is bugging you more than anyone else," Ginny snapped, staring at him knowingly. "I saw the look on your face when you found out."

Harry shook his head.

"There was no look, Ginny."

"You're not that great of a liar."

"I assume Malfoy is?"

Ginny couldn't help but smile at the bitterness in his voice.

"Yes… he is," she whispered, causing him to look straight at her. They were quiet for a moment before he spoke.

"Why him?"

Ginny stared at him for a moment before she looked down at her gloved hands that were starting to pick up a little mound of snow. Sighing, she stood up and brushed some of the snow off of her before she started walking. Harry got up and walked beside her as she searched for the right answer.

This wasn't her family… and this wasn't Hermione asking the question. This was Harry Potter… if anyone deserved to know, it was him…

Ginny kicked up some snow as they continued to walk.

"I don't know… I mean he's-"

"Arrogant, manipulating, insufferable, vindictive, pratish-"

"I think you've made your point," she cut in, a smile on her face. "I'm surprised your comments were so restrained."

"Yes, well, I wouldn't want to come off like his Most Insulting. That would only make him more like me," Harry muttered and Ginny couldn't help but flinch at the obvious disgust in his voice.

"Harry, if anyone heard you, they'd think you were bitter," she whispered softly, glancing over at him. Harry hesitated for a moment before looking at her.

"You think I'm bitter?"

"You sound bitter."

"You haven't answered the question, Ginny," Harry snapped, uncomfortable with the turn of topic. Ginny watched him for a moment before returned to looking around at the snow covered landscape. She took a while to answer, but when she did, she tried to sound sure of her answer.

"I suppose… I suppose underneath it all… I fell for him because he didn't want to be you…"

Harry stopped and turned to her.

"Ginny, why would anyone-"

Ginny held up her hand to stop him. There was a small smile teasing her lips as she spoke.

"Harry… no matter how much you or anyone else tries to deny it… everybody… every man will always try to be you," she whispered, a sad look in her eyes. "You're the hero… you'll _always_ be the hero…"

Harry stared at her.

"And Malfoy?"

Ginny looked away from him.

"He doesn't want to be you. He hates you _because_ you're everything people want and he's everything people don't want…"

"Except you," Harry whispered, causing her to look straight at him. "You love him because he's not me…"

Ginny bit her lip.

"No… I love him because unlike everyone else, he doesn't want to _be_ you… that does not mean you two aren't the same," she murmured. She laughed quietly. "To be honest, I think he's more like you than anyone else…"

Harry stared at her for a moment before he turned and began to walk through the snow again. Ginny walked along with him, both lost in their thoughts.

"Is that it?" he asked.

Ginny frowned.

"What?"

He stopped and looked at her.

"I'm Harry Potter and he's not. That's the reason you fell in love with him?"

Ginny stared at him for a while before she sighed.

"Harry… when we broke up… I told myself that I didn't want to be with the hero anymore…"

"Ginny-"

"It's not your fault Harry," she snapped before she calmed down and sighed. She touched his arm to grab his attention. "Harry… you and I would have never worked. My brother's your best mate and my family… you have too much to lose and we both know that."

"And with Malfoy you don't?"

Ginny looked up into his eyes.

"At least the whole world won't fall if he dies…"

Harry looked over to the woods, a dark feeling falling over him.

"Just your world…"

Ginny tried to smile as she looked down at her snow covered boots.

"It wouldn't be the first time the man I loved brought my world crashing down around me."

Harry's head turned to see her and she looked up to meet his gaze.

"And I sound bitter," he muttered.

They just stared at each other for a while, both taken back to a time where the world was collapsing from within and death was much closer than it was now. Harry reached up and touched her face, watching as her eyes fluttered shut.

"Being the hero isn't always a good thing I guess…"

Ginny's eyes snapped open and she stared into his bright green eyes.

"All the girls will love you and all the boys will envy you," she whispered. "That's not that bad."

"And you?"

She smiled.

"Somewhere deep inside of me, I'll always be that little girl who fell in love with you the day I saw you on the platform," she murmured, reaching up and taking his hand. "I suppose… I'll always have a special place in my life for you."

He raised an eyebrow.

"For Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived?"

Ginny shook her head.

"No… for Harry Potter, the boy who loves me… and the boy who saved me… even if it was from himself…" she whispered before smiling again. "I think Draco's a bit too selfish to give me up to save the world."

Harry brushed a gloved thumb across her cold face softly, a small smile appearing on his face.

"It's nice to know I have something over him."

Ginny laughed.

"Don't tell anyone I said that, he'd never forgive me," she told Harry.

The smile on his face faltered a bit before he moved closer to her, cupping her face in his hands.

"I'm sorry it ended up this way," he whispered.

Ginny felt her heart constrict painfully, but she shook her head nonetheless.

"I'm not…"

They stood there for a moment, captivated by how much things had changed in the past year… Harry could see in her brown eyes a different fire burning. It was just as bright as it was when they were dating back during the war… except it was just different…

He leaned in and kissed her softly, allowing both of them to remember briefly what they had lost. Their lips brushed comfortingly against the other's, moving slowly as they embraced each other. Ginny then pulled away and rested her head against his chest, closing her eyes as she tried not to think about anything else but right now.

"Thank you, Harry," she whispered.

Harry didn't respond. Instead, he just held her close as the snow continued to fall, knowing that this was the last chance they had to really be together alone. He wasn't about to ruin it by speaking his mind. So they just stood there, holding each other and wishing things could be different between them.

* * *

Hermione looked up from her book to see Ron and Neville enter the kitchen with the twins. She smiled when Ron sat down next to her and gave her a peck on the lips.

"Ahh! Isn't that adorable mum?" Fred and George squealed when Mrs. Weasley entered, pointing to the affectionate exchange between the younger two. Mrs. Weasley hit her two sons in the arms.

"Leave Ron and Hermione alone," she said, placing a few cups on the counter. "I've been waiting for this moment for a long time and I don't need you two ruining it for the two of them."

Hermione glanced over at Ron and blushed before returning to her book. Ron turned to his mother.

"Hey mum, are we going to be able to go down to Diagon Alley for Christmas shopping before Saturday?" he asked.

Fred grinned.

"Did you forget to get your girlfriend a present?" he asked with laughter in his eyes. George watched for Ron's reaction, but he didn't give any. He shook his head.

"No, I got her present a while ago. I need to get something for Harry," he replied. Hermione glanced up briefly at him before going back to her book, a small smile on her face. Neville turned to Ron.

"When did you have time to get her a present?" he asked curiously. Ron grinned.

"Well-"

_Crash_!

"Oh my goodness!" Mrs. Weasley gasped, paying no attention to the glass she had just dropped. She was staring out the window with a weird look on her face. The others went to the window and looked out.

"Oh," Ron muttered.

In the backyard, they could see Harry and Ginny kissing in the snow. Ron and Hermione looked at each other while the other three started grinning. Neville just looked confused.

"I thought she was with Malfoy," he mused.

"Maybe she doesn't really like the prick that much," George muttered.

"George," Mrs. Weasley hissed, while watching her daughter and the boy she had grown to see as a son, hold each other tightly in the snow. Hermione bit her lip, looking out the window again to see the two embracing now.

"I don't think so… I really don't think so…"

**A/N: I know some of you are saying, What?! NO! She can't be kissing Harry! She loves Draco. She just betrayed him!But let's all be honest. Harry Potter will always be a part of Ginny's life, even if they aren't together. As long as they've faced that fact, things will be a lot better between them and perhaps even between her and Draco even. And to be even more honest, it's not like Draco was a _complete_ saint when it came to Ginny. He did have that thing with Pansy and even before that, I think there might be hints that he was seeing other girls. I could be mistaken, but I think it's there. Besides, I think Harry and Ginny needed some closure, especially Harry. **

**Just a thought. **

**PhoenixTalons:** True, it will end eventually, but to be quite honest, things are going to get a lot more intense before it ends.

**brokenstitches:** Well I'm glad to help you but I hope I don't get you in trouble by distracting you too much. Happy Internship! :-) (Even if it's hell)

**darkroses2992:** To be honest I didn't actually expect people to cry in this chapter so it surprised me when quite a few of you did cry. Just thought I'd mention that.

**Skepo:** That is possibly the last time you will read about Draco's actually feelings towards Ginny. I'm on chapter 26, which is turning out to be harder than you would think (When you read it, you might understand).

**mrsronweasley2113:** Yes, the 15 were Warrington's guys. To answer the first question, killing Draco would be too easy and not _nearly_ as fun as torturing the only girl Draco ever loved. And, (to contradict my first statement) finding Draco is almost impossible, even for Lucius. Using Ginny is a good way of finding his son and making sure his son stays long enough to suffer.

**jjp91:** She's staying with the Weasleys. I'm actually glad you mentioned her because now I have to go back to the other chapters and revise a few things.

**MeggyandHaku:** I'll do my best!

**Sarah:** Well, since it's only been about a week, I don't know how much you've read from my stuff, but if you keep reading my other work, you'll see quite quickly that chaos and I are very good friends. As for the romance and "adult" crimes, to be honest, it's probably the easiest parts to write (not meaning to tute my own horn). Dialogue is soooooooo hard to write, but I'm glad that you like it.

**snowfire81:** Well, you can't blame the Weasley's really, but I know what you're saying.

**tamara72:** Yes they will all meet Rayne now.

**ronandmion4ever:** Oh, I saved you for last on purpose. You are soooo amazing with your freaking large review! I'm glad you recognize my twisted mind. Not many have bowed down before my evilness. :-) I cant say that Ginny was my least favorite character, but I didn't like her as much as I thought I would, so I tried to bring back the feistiness that was there a little in the first five books, but not make her completely independent and untouchable. As for Draco, I still wanted him to be that suave figure without having to prove it too much. I didn't want to have to write him shagging some bint, so I just gave you guys you're own imagination. As for being a bad boy, I decided to make him the very cold, manipulative, sadistic bad boy. The one the girls swoon over, but don't want to hang around with for the after party (if you get my drift). But yes, I did let his guard down several times because, like every other person, he's vulnerable. He just hides it _soooooo_ much better than the rest of us. Maybe I will reach 100 thousand, but as for the steamy snogs, I don't think that will be happening any time soon. :-) Don't worry about paying anything, I don't think it's _that_ good, but thanks for that anyway. Hope you enjoy the rest of the story!

**Sorry no chapter tease. **

**R/R!**


	23. The Happiest Occasion

_Happiness is nothing more than good health and a bad memory_. -**Albert Schweitzer**

* * *

"Am I going to see Draco again?"

Ginny looked up from her cup of tea to see Rayne watching her by the staircase. Ginny motioned her over and the girl walked over to where Ginny was sitting at the table.

"Hey," she whispered. "What are you doing up?"

Rayne got onto one of the chairs and looked straight at Ginny.

"I couldn't sleep. I miss Draco."

Ginny felt her heart constrict but she tried to smile.

"Draco's okay. I'm sure he misses you though," she whispered.

Rayne shrugged.

"I wouldn't know. He doesn't like to do all that mushy stuff," she said matter-of-factly. Ginny smiled.

"I've noticed… don't you miss your parents?"

The little girl nodded.

"Sometimes… but Draco tells me that when people die, they're not really gone," she said.

This comment did not sound at all like the Draco Malfoy she knew, but then again, no one knew much about Draco Malfoy. Ginny watched the little girl for a moment then looked down at her hands.

"He's protected you for a long time hasn't he?"

Rayne nodded, a smile on her face.

"He's like my brother."

Ginny nodded, looking back down at her cup and sighing.

"He really cares about you…"

"He cares about you too, Ginny."

Ginny looked up at the girl, amazed by her words.

"Why would you say that?"

Rayne grinned.

"He told me he loved you. And my mum used to say that love meant that you cared about someone so much that you'd do anything to protect them," she said.

"_I'm not the hero, Weasley," he whispered into her skin. "I can't save you."_

Ginny bit her lip.

"I suppose anything means nothing as well…"

* * *

Hermione, Neville, Ron and Fred looked up from breakfast to see Harry and Ginny enter, eyes still droopy from just waking up. Rayne was walking right behind Ginny, rubbing her eyes and yawning.

"Good morning," Hermione greeted, smiling brightly. It was snowing outside, Christmas was tomorrow and her parents had arrived a couple of days ago, making her happy and content. Ginny tried to smile through the sleepiness and sat down between Neville and Rayne. Harry sat across from her beside Fred, who was now grinning widely.

"How did you sleep?"

Harry shrugged.

"Like anyone else," he muttered. "Why are you so happy?"

Ron rolled his eyes.

"Fred and George have been selling Christmas merchandise all month and now they're profits have sky rocketed," he muttered, buttering another piece of toast. "They've brought some of their stuff over to the house and have booby trapped the entire Burrow."

Hermione sighed.

"Your mother has been dragging George around trying to get him to point out the less obvious ones," she added. Ginny smiled.

"This will be interesting," Ginny said.

Neville smiled as well.

"Gran says she might get out of the hospital early. She might stop by," he said.

"Oh Neville that's great!" Hermione exclaimed. "We'll all have family here for Christmas."

Ginny glanced over at Rayne.

"Well… not everyone," she whispered.

Fred rolled his eyes, standing up and going over to Rayne.

"What are you talking about, Ginny? She practically looks like us," he said, leaning in and looking at the little girl. "Has that little prick ever taken you on a broom?"

"Fred!" Ginny snapped, glaring at him.

Fred sighed.

"_Fine_, has…" He looked ready to throw up. "Has _Draco_ ever taken you on a broom before?"

Rayne looked over at Ginny.

"Once… when we left the Shrieking Shack…"

Ginny's eyes widened and her face grew red.

"Oh… that…"

"What?" Harry asked.

Ginny glanced over at him before grabbing some toast and pouring herself a cup of tea.

"It was the day Crabbe died," she muttered, knowing she didn't have to explain anything else. They were quiet for a moment before Fred stood up and held out his hand for Rayne to take.

"Well, since this is a much _happier_ occasion, we shall all go out and I shall let you see more than he did when you were running away from a scene of a murder," he muttered, giving Ginny a pointed look before helping Rayne with her coat and gloves and leading her outside. Ginny sat there for a moment before she sighed.

"We weren't running away," she whispered before taking a sip of her tea. Ron snorted but said nothing. Hermione rolled her eyes and finished her breakfast. When they were all done, they headed outside to see Fred flying around with Rayne. They could hear her squealing with laughter as he did a few barrel rolls in the sky.

"Don't drop her!" Ginny yelled. "He'd never forgive me!"

Neville frowned.

"He's not that bad, is he?"

Ginny gave him a look that said otherwise before she started walking over to where Fred had landed. Neville glanced over at the others.

"I guess he is."

* * *

"Bill and Fleur are here!" Mrs. Weasley screamed up the stairs as the house continued to fill up quickly with redheads and those who loved them. The five upstairs stood up and started downstairs, but Ron grabbed a hold of Hermione's arm and held her back a little.

"What is it Ron?" she asked, frowning. Ron waited until Harry, Ginny and Neville had disappeared down the stairs before he turned to her and kissed her deeply. At first Hermione was surprised, then she sighed into his mouth and leaned into the kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck. His arms snaked around her waist and he held her close.

When they finally pulled away from each other, Hermione kept her eyes closed for a second, savoring the moment as he watched her. Finally she opened her eyes and stared into his brilliant blue ones.

"Wow… what was that for?" she asked softly, keeping her arms around his neck as he held her. Ron shrugged.

"I'll probably never be able to do that again tonight," he whispered. "With the whole family around, I just wanted to have a moment with you before things became hysterical."

Hermione smiled and kissed him softly.

"Well then, thank you, Ron…"

Ron gave her a lop-sided grin.

"Your welcome, 'Mione."

* * *

Harry smiled when Ron and Hermione entered the living room, avoiding Fred and George, who were fiddling with something at the door. Hermione sat between the two, her cheeks slightly red.

"You two catch up?"

Hermione hit Harry in the arm.

"That's not funny, Harry," she whispered, sitting back and watching the little kids running around. Ron glanced over at his two brothers.

"What are you two doing?" he asked.

George glanced over at him and shook his head.

"Nothing, so mind your own business," he snapped and with that the twins disappeared into the kitchen. Ron looked over at Harry, frowning.

"What was that about?"

Harry shrugged.

"I don't know and I don't want to know," he muttered and Hermione grinned, leaning into him affectionately.

"Oh come on, Harry, get into the Christmas spirit! The twins are just trying to make things interesting," she said. Ron snorted and they both looked at him. He shrugged.

"Yeah, try saying that when you're nine years old, you wake up one fine Christmas morning to find that your brothers have somehow brought the freezing cold inside, it's snowing and your balls have shriveled up to the size of-"

"That's quite enough, thank you Ron," Hermione cut in, standing up and moving over to another chair while Harry and Ron grinned at each other. Hermione rolled her eyes. "You two are incorrigible."

Harry turned to her.

"Yet you stick around," he pointed out. Hermione sighed and leaned back in the chair.

"I blame that troll," she muttered.

Before they could respond, Neville came into the room with his grandmother.

"Gran, you remember everyone right?"

* * *

"MERRY CHRISTMAS!"

Ginny gasped and sat up straight and looked around to see Rayne jumping up and down in her bed excitedly. Ginny glanced over at Hermione, who was also sitting up in her bed, her brown hair sticking out from everywhere. Ginny burst out into a fit of giggles and Hermione frowned.

"What?"

Ginny pointed at Hermione's head.

"Your hair!" she sniggered, falling back in bed and laughing. Hermione reached up and touched her hair and blushed.

"That's not funny," she muttered, trying her best to tame her hair. Rayne just continued to bounce around, singing Christmas songs. Ginny smiled.

"Merry Christmas!"

* * *

Harry, Ron and Neville were woken up by the giggles and squeals that came from Ginny's bedroom a level below Ron's. Neville moaned and pulled his pillow over his head while Harry pulled his covers over his head. Ron rolled his eyes.

"Girls."

* * *

Mrs. Weasley smiled as the people she loved ate quickly at the table, squealing about the snow that had started falling earlier that morning.

"Morning mum!" Percy greeted, walking through the back door, holding his young daughter, Rachel, while Penelope followed in after him, smiling brightly and shaking snow from her head.

"Hello Molly," she said, giving the matriarch a kiss on the cheek before looking around. "Is Fleur here yet?"

Mrs. Weasley nodded.

"She's in the living room with Bill and Arthur," she said, taking Rachel in her arms. "How are you, my little angel?"

"Have Fred and George arrived yet?" Percy asked curiously.

Mrs. Weasley shook her head.

"They were here earlier this morning, but they left to go pick up their girlfriends. Why?"

Percy handed Rachel her bottle.

"I just want to know so that I can avoid them," he muttered, causing his mother to smile while he left to go to the living room.

"Ron put me down!"

Mrs. Weasley looked up from her granddaughter to see her son carrying Hermione into the kitchen, a smile on his face while she was trying to hide the smile on hers. Both of them were still in their pajamas. Harry and Neville walked in behind them.

"Ron put her down before you hit something," Harry said.

"Or someone," Neville added with a smile. Ron sighed.

"Fine," he said, setting her down. She gave him a kiss on the lips before she walked over to Mrs. Weasley.

"Good morning, Mrs. Weasley," she greeted happily. "Are my parents awake yet?"

Harry turned to Neville.

"Is your Gran coming over today?"

Neville nodded.

"She said she would."

"HERE WE ARE!"

Everyone turned to see Fred, George and Lee Jordon come bounding through the back door, covered in snow and smiles. Angelina Johnson, Alicia Spinnet and Katie Bell walked in slowly after, a complete contrast to their boyfriends, who were speaking quickly to the grandchildren, who found the three fascinating. Mrs. Weasley was overjoyed when she found out that the three girls were dating those three tricksters. It might be a way of settling them down a little.

"Hello everyone," Alicia greeted, waving as she moved out of Fred's way when he walked over to Ron, Harry and Neville.

"You three haven't gone into the attic have you?" he asked with a serious tone.

Ron looked alarmed.

"No… why?"

A bright smile appeared on Fred's face.

"Well why the hell not?"

"Fred!" Mrs. Weasley scolded, pointing at the small children. Angelina took hold of Fred's arm and steered her out of the kitchen.

"It's been a long time since I've seen the rest of the house, Fred," she said, giving Fred a pointed look. His eyes brightened and he eagerly led her up the stairs. George and Lee rolled their eyes and took Alicia and Katie by the arms and led them out of the kitchen.

"Come! We must save Angelina before she gets herself into more than she can handle," Lee said, pulling Katie along. The young woman looked alarmed as she went up the stairs.

"But who's going to save us?"

* * *

"Ron! This one's for you," Neville said, handing a present he had found near his foot to Ron. "It's from Hermione."

Everyone broke out into smiles while Ron fingered the small gift. He glanced over at Hermione, who looked a bit nervous about the gift. He took a deep breath and opened the gift quickly. Ginny looked over Harry's shoulder to watch her brother along with the rest of the family.

"What is it?" Charlie asked curiously, trying to see over the heads of the others. Ron remained silent, staring at the two small cards in his hand.

Ptolemy and Agrippa…

The two cards Ron had never been able to find.

Hermione bit he lip at Ron's lack of response and felt like she needed to explain.

"You always said that you needed those two cards to complete your collection… Luna found them earlier this year and I practically _begged_ her for them. She was rather liked them a lot, so it took a lot of begging. But, you were twelve when you stopped looking, so I guess this gift is a bit over-"

Ron cut her off with a searing kiss, leaving her breathless when he finally pulled away. The room suddenly broke out in cheers as the two grinned at each other.

"I love it, Hermione," he said. "Thanks."

Hermione smiled, holding the very valuable book he had given her close to her chest.

"Well, you gave me something special, I decided to give you something special," she whispered.

Mrs. Weasley looked ecstatic.

"Oh this is wonderful! I'll go make some more eggnog!" she squealed, moving out of the crowded living room and back into the kitchen. Harry frowned and pointed to a small gift he hadn't noticed before lying under the tree.

"Whose is that?"

Lee picked it up and turned it over.

"Ginny, it's for you."

"From who?" she asked curiously as he handed it to her.

"No name."

Ginny frowned and opened it quickly.

"Oh my gosh!" Fleur exclaimed, catching sight of the small sparkling object before Ginny realized what it was. Ginny pulled up the small gold chain and everyone else gasped.

"Oh Ginny, it's beautiful," Katie said from her spot on Lee's lap. Ginny frowned, looking at the small object. It looked like a crystal horse but the thing that struck her most about it was that it moved.

"It's your Patronus isn't it?" Harry asked.

"Yes," Ginny whispered, staring at the beautiful piece of jewelry. Hermione gasped when the thing raised its head noticeably.

"Oh Ginny! It's a Life Crystal!" she gasped, leaning in to see the thing move again.

"What?" Ron asked.

Hermione looked at him.

"A Life Crystal," she repeated. "They're extremely rare. There's a lot more that goes into it, but basically it's a crystal that can move… They used to be common a long time ago. Sort of like an engagement ring."

"Engagement ring!" Ginny yelped.

Hermione shook her head quickly.

"No, not an engagement ring! Just you know… a promise I suppose… not for marriage… just for… protection?" she guessed, staring at the jewel. "Not much is known about the origin of them, but people have killed for them. They're worth _a lot_ of money…"

"Who would give Ginny something like…"

Suddenly it dawned on everyone where she had gotten the present. There was a momentary silence then Ron smirked.

"So much for being subtle," he said causing a few people to snigger while Ginny just blushed and shot him a look.

"I think it's beautiful," she whispered, placing it around her neck and tucking it under her shirt. The others decided against saying anything, knowing that Draco was still a sensitive topic for all of them. Besides, with such a sweet and obvious gesture, there wasn't much they could say that could damper the way Ginny was currently feeling at the moment. The rest of the Weasley's moved around, thanking people for gifts and just talking about nothing. Ginny sat to the side, wondering how on earth Draco managed to get the gift to her or why in that case he even bothered giving her one.

"How's St. Mungos training program?" Hermione asked Alicia as they stood near the fireplace. Alicia grinned.

"Oh it's wonderful! The Healers are so wonderful and they've taught me so much! They've allowed me to visit some of the permanent wards, where I'm planning on working in when I become a Healer. My aunt works at St. Mungos, so that's been really-"

"What the hell?"

A few people looked over at the doorway to see Angelina standing at the door beside Fred, looking completely confused. There was a weird wailing noise that was getting louder by the second.

"Fred, what did you do?" she demanded, shooting him a look that clearly said, 'this had better not be one of your little tricks'. Fred just grinned and pointed up at a small plant that was hanging from the ceiling over the door. It seemed to be the origin of the noise. Angelina frowned.

"Mistletoe? Fred, really-"

"It's our new product," George cut in, leaping to his feet and walking over to where the two stood. "It's the Kiss-or-Stay Mistletoe."

"Kiss-or-Stay?" Bill said. "What the hell does that mean?"

Fred's grin got bigger as more people came to the living room to investigate the obnoxious wail that was coming from the small plant.

"It means that when two people walk under the mistletoe at the same time, they're stuck there until they kiss. The noise is to alert other people that someone got trapped there and it won't stop until they kiss."

Ron frowned.

"You can do that?"

George nodded.

"Dumbledore showed us how," he told them cheerfully.

Harry smiled and rolled his eyes.

"Of course he would," he muttered. Remus on the other hand, was growing agitated by the wailing.

"I don't care how it works, just make it stop!" he shouted over the now deafening scream. Others agreed with him, shooting nasty glares at the twins.

Angelina tried to move again, but when she did the screeching got louder. Annoyed, she turned to Fred.

"Fine. Fred kiss me now because I don't want to stand here forever," she snapped. Fred obligingly wrapped his arms around her and kissed her merrily. The wailing stopped and everyone sighed in relief. Angelina pulled away and hit Fred in the arm, glaring at him. "Next time, tell me when you're going to trap me under one of your products."

Hermione smiled and turned back to Alicia. Ginny looked around and frowned.

"Has anyone seen Rayne?"

Mr. Weasley pointed to the stairs.

"She said she had to get something upstairs."

Ginny nodded and left the room, careful to make sure no one else was following so she didn't get stuck having to kiss any of her brothers under the mistletoe. She already had enough issues.

"Rayne! Rayne, you're going to miss the best part of the night," Ginny said, going over to her door and opening it. "Rayne, where are-"

Ginny stopped in her tracks, frozen by the sight before her.

"Draco…"

She couldn't breathe as she watched the blonde stand up from the bed and turn to see her standing there, frozen in fear.

"Draco," she whispered again, too shocked to do anything else. He smirked and glanced over at Rayne.

"I need to talk to her alone for a moment," he told the little girl, who nodded eagerly and ran out the door, closing it behind her. Ginny continued to just stand there, afraid that if she moved, he would disappear.

"You're here…"

Draco walked over to where she was standing and looked down into her eyes.

"You seemed surprised."

Ginny stared at him for a moment before she blinked quickly and took a deep breath.

"Well, I do have Draco Malfoy in the Burrow… I think anyone would see that as a surprise… even if they all know that we are together," she whispered. Draco smirked.

"Well, you know I'm full of surprises," he murmured before leaning in and kissing her. Ginny reached up and touched his face, allowing him to deepen the kiss before she pulled away slightly.

"Speaking of surprises, what was with the gift?" she asked quietly, pulling the chain out of her shirt and showing him the small crystal. Draco smirked, kissing her nose before he leaned into her lips.

"It looks nice on you," he said into her lips. Ginny pulled away from the kiss a little.

"I thought it was an apology for what you did," she whispered. Draco immediately pulled away from her, his eyes dark with remembrance. He was quiet for a moment before he spoke.

"Did you expect an apology?" he asked grimly.

"I didn't expect to be punched," she replied with equal coldness. When he didn't respond, she felt her heart constrict with pain. She remembered the blazing madness that had been in his eyes before he almost cursed her. "You're losing control, Draco," she whispered. "You're losing control and you took it out on me."

"I'm losing control because of you," he growled. Ginny took his face in her hands, looking into his stormy grey eyes.

"You could have stopped this," she whispered.

The truth in her statement was almost unbearable. It was as if she had looked into his soul and seen the memories… it was as if she knew…

Of course he could have stopped this… He could still stop this… all it took was two words… and he could stop this…

They kissed for a moment before Ginny bit her lip.

"Hermione said that this was a promise of protection," she whispered, stuffing the crystal back under her shirt. Draco's eyes darkened as he reached out and touched Ginny's face, his fingers running over her face gently. It seemed as if he wanted to say something to her… as if he wanted to tell her everything… but instead, he just watched her carefully, contemplating her and how her basic existence would be the only certainty in her future…

Ginny, however, had spent too much time with this Draco that she could tell what was going through his mind… if only for a moment…

"But you can't protect me, can you?"

For a moment he just stared at her, and then he shook his head and leaned in, kissed her softly, running his tongue along her lower lip temptingly. She opened her mouth to his and jolted slightly when his tongue brushed against hers. He felt her shiver against him as he ran one hand through her luscious red hair, pulling her closer with the other hand. Ginny gasped into his mouth, allowing him to deepen the kiss before she suddenly pulled away a little, breathing quickly.

"What about your father?"

"Yes, Draco, what about me?"

The two turned to see Lucius Malfoy standing at Ginny's door, holding a limp Rayne in his arms. Draco could feel Ginny start to shake beside him, but he showed no emotion as he pulled away from her, placing himself slightly in front of her. He made no other move. Lucius had the upper hand. He had Rayne. He wasn't about to attack his father. Not yet anyway…

Lucius looked down at the girl in his arms then looked up at Draco.

"We need to talk, son."

**A/N: Okay, I'm going to address all of the evil thoughts against Harry _now _because apparently many of you have a problem with him. And the _only_ reason I'm doing this is because this story is my baby and I feel like defending my baby. I do appreciate all of your views and you all know I love you, but I still feel like I have to say a few things. (Because I always have to say a few things)**

**Okay, here we go!**

**WHAT?!**

**Maybe that's over reacting. I'll do it this way. Huh? Did I completely miss something? Do I not remember writing that _Ginny_ let him kiss her? Do I not remember having Draco _snog_ Pansy only a few chapters ago? Harry gives Ginny a "goodbye kiss" and suddenly all hell breaks lose? Did I miss something? I really don't see where all these bad feelings are coming from. If anything, you should be upset at Ginny for allowing him to do that. I didn't know you all felt so strongly about the Dr/G couple. I thought you all still understood that there were still underlying feelings between the two, but I guess I was wrong.**

**Oh well. Perhaps I missed something.**

**Skepo:** I missed Draco to, so that's why I decided to bring him back. Unfortunately, I brought his father with him as well.

**nextbestthing:** It wasn't _that_ bad.

**PhoenixTalons:** Please don't! I don't like it when my readers have dark evil thoughts running through their heads. It makes me feel like I've done something incredibly wrong!

**snowfire81:** Well... I mean if you caught your daughter kissing someone _you_ liked her to love instead of the person she actually did love, wouldn't you be a little excited? Just a little?

**mrsronweasley2113:** No, I wouldn't have them get back together. That wouldn't be a very good story. As for Warrington. There are two of them. His father and then Cole, the one who just died. As for the long review. I don't mind! I love long reviews!

**tamara72:** Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy are _extremely_ a like!

**ronandmion4ever:** I love Neville also! I'm happy you liked the whole thing with Ron. I loved that also! Yes the cat is out of the bag and in the Burrow!

**Chapter Tease: (You people can be a little weird some times.)**

_"Tsk, tsk, Draco. I thought you would have known better."_

_"Apparently not," Draco replied, clasping his hands behind him as he matched his father's cold look. Lucius raised an eyebrow._

_"So you're not going to deny it?"_

_"No."_


	24. Falls Apart

_Shallow men believe in luck, believe in circumstances -- it was somebody's name, or he happened to be there at the time, or it was so then, and another day would have been otherwise. Strong men believe in cause and effect._ **-Ralph Waldo Emerson**

* * *

"STORY TIME!" Rachel squealed when Mr. Weasley settled down into his large chair by the fire. The other kids gathered around him while the adults either sat on the floor or in the random chairs that were in the living room. Hermione stood by the door with her parents, leaning into her mother while Mr. Weasley began to tell the whole family stories of Christmas's past. Every so often her eyes would catch Ron's who was sitting between Lee Jordon and Neville and the two would smile at each other. Hermione then looked behind her, wondering where Ginny was.

"Mum, I'll be back in a moment," she whispered, pulling away from her parents and walking up the stairs. She could hear voices coming from Ginny's bedroom and she frowned. Two of the voices were male. When she reached the landing, she peered into the room and her eyes widened.

"Oh my God."

Lucius must have heard her because he whirled around and fired at her before anyone else could utter a word.

"HERMIONE!" Ginny screamed when the girl went flying back into the wall and slumped to the ground, bleeding and motionless. She was about to move over to her when Draco grabbed her by the arm and yanked her back aggressively, leaning into her ear.

"She's not dead, don't move," he hissed, holding her arm as she struggled to get to Hermione.

"But-"

"_Don't move_," he growled dangerously before he straightened up and returned to his expressionless gaze when his father turned to face them.

"I'm sure someone noticed that," he muttered, hoisting the small girl over his shoulder. "Now Draco, let's not make this difficult. You know very well that I have no problem killing the next three people who come up those stairs."

Ginny lunged at Lucius viciously, complete hate in her eyes, but Draco dragged her back.

"You son of a _bitch_!" she growled.

"You shouldn't talk to your elders that way."

"GO TO HELL!" she shrieked, struggling against Draco's arms to get to the older man. "Let me go!" she snapped furiously. "LET GO!"

Lucius smiled and looked up at Draco.

"Does she get that way when you screw her?" he asked him before turning his gaze to Ginny and holding out a small crystal snake. "After you."

* * *

Ron was the first to get up the stairs.

"HERMIONE!"

He fell to his knees and checked her air passage.

"She's not breathing!" he yelled as others appeared at the top of the stairs. Mrs. Granger's eyes widened.

"NO! HERMIONE!"

* * *

The moment they arrived in the woods, Ginny was hauled off somewhere into the dark, screaming, kicking and biting. Lucius handed Rayne to a man Draco recognized and she was carried away. Draco's wand was confiscated before only he and his father remained in the thick forest. There was a moment of silence before Lucius turned to face his son.

"Tsk, tsk, Draco. I thought you would have known better."

"Apparently not," Draco replied, clasping his hands behind him as he matched his father's cold look. Lucius raised an eyebrow.

"So you're not going to deny it?"

"No."

Though he did not show it, Lucius was mildly impressed with his son's boldness. This was a _very_ serious matter.

"You have a lot of nerve showing up at that house, Draco. There are a lot of people who want you dead for what you've done… again," he added.

Draco raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, Lucius, you know better than to mention that, especially since most of them don't remember what happened in the first place."

"The Dark Lord's dead, Draco and they've all been reminded."

He turned to see his mother appear out of the woods, her long silver robes accentuating her pale skin as she moved. Draco smirked.

"I was wondering where Daddy's little bitch was hiding."

Lucius shook his head.

"Always the sarcastic one… well Draco, let's see how sarcastic you are when history repeats itself."

Draco's eyes darkened but instead of replying immediately he started to walk off in the direction of Malfoy Manor, which he knew was just beyond these trees.

"I hope one day I have the pleasure of pissing on your grave, Lucius," he said lightly over his shoulder. Lucius smiled.

"Draco, I'll bury you again and shit on your grave before your piss hits the floor."

Draco rolled his eyes.

_Home sweet home._

* * *

Ginny grunted when she hit the cold, wet ground in a cell she had been thrown into. The guard slammed the door shut, chuckling to himself.

"Lucius is going to ruin you, pretty Weasley," he growled. "He's going to ruin you badly."

"Go to hell," Ginny snapped, pulling herself as far away from the cell door as possible. The man only laughed more.

"Little Weasley, hell should be the least of your worries."

With that said, he left, his sadistic laughter echoing off the walls as he went. Ginny pulled her knees up to her chest and hugged them, wondering how deep she had dug her grave.

_You never should have fallen for him_, a nasty little voice sneered. Ginny lowered her head and rested her forehead against her knees.

"But I did," she muttered.

_Now look where you are. You're going to die in Malfoy Manor. That's not necessarily an honor._

"It's not like it's completely my fault… he kissed me first…"

_Yes, but Draco kisses _everyone_. He told you that himself. It wasn't like you were something special._

"Then why would he risk so much? Why would he… why would he wait for me when he… when he so quickly deflowered all those other girls? Why did he give me this?"

She pulled out the necklace and stared at it for a moment before tucking back safely under her shirt.

_So you've proven that he loves you. Congratulations, you're a dead woman._

Ginny closed her eyes and tried to think.

"The first place they would look for me is here though. Right?"

_Do you honestly think that Malfoy would have brought you here if he knew you were going to be found in less than twenty-four hours? They won't find you and you know it._

Ginny could feel the tears starting to form at the back of her eyelids and squeezed her eyes shut even harder to stop them from spilling over.

"I never wanted this to happen… I never wanted to fall in love with him…"

There was no answer. Just the silence that vibrated off the stone walls around her, letting her know that she was, indeed, alone.

* * *

Harry and Neville looked up when the fireplace lit up and Ron, Fred, George, Lee, Angelina, Alicia and Katie came stumbling out one at a time. Harry was the first one to speak.

"How is she? Is Hermione alright?" he asked quickly, grabbing Ron's arm urgently. Ron looked completely drained of all life as he sat down on the sofa and put his head in his hands. He didn't say a word, making Harry even more nervous. Fred and George looked at each other before George spoke.

"Um… the Healer said that it looks pretty bad… worse than Ginny," he whispered. Alicia leaned into him and rested her head on his shoulder, taking his hand in hers as he continued. "They're not sure if she'll make it past next week."

Ron made a small sniffling noise and they all realized that he was crying. Katie whispered something to Lee and he nodded, standing up.

"We'll be in the kitchen," he said quietly.

Fred frowned.

"You don't have to go-"

Katie gave Fred a look before leaving the living room, Lee following close behind. Angelina and Alicia glanced at each other then they stood up as well, surprising the twins.

"We'll be in the kitchen also," Angelina whispered, glancing over at Ron, who still had his face in his hands. "This is a family matter."

Fred took her hand and pulled her to him.

"You're part of the family," he murmured. Angelina leaned in and kissed Fred softly before looking over to where Alicia was talking quietly with George.

"I'll go make some tea," she whispered. "Besides… your brother needs you."

Fred nodded and watched as she and Alicia left as well before turning to where Ron was sitting. George looked over at Harry.

"Have they found out what happened to Ginny?"

Harry shook his head.

"Remus is still at the Ministry, trying to get a warrant to search Malfoy's house, but I doubt they'll find anything."

"What makes you so sure, Harry?" Neville asked.

Harry leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes, trying not to think about Hermione's perilous situation.

"Malfoy didn't take her to kill her… he took her to destroy his son…"

"Draco Malfoy?" Alicia asked, coming back into the room with three cups of tea. She handed two of those cups to Neville and George before sitting down on the armrest of George's chair, sipping on her own. "George told me about him and Ginny. Why does his father hate him so much?"

"Because he wouldn't take the Dark Mark."

Everyone looked over at Ron, who looked up. His eyes were red and puffy, but there were no more tears.

"Malfoy wouldn't take the Mark so Lucius wants him dead."

Angelina, Katie and Lee walked back in, carrying steaming cups of tea. They handed them out before sitting back down. Harry met Ron's eyes.

"He's going to use Ginny."

* * *

Draco didn't bother turning around when his bedroom door opened.

"You screwed up, Draco."

He smiled.

"It's nice to see you too, Blaise. I had an interesting Christmas as well," Draco muttered while Zabini, Valance, Goyle and Rockwell entered his bedroom, closing the door behind them. "Lucius find you?"

"It wasn't like we were trying to hide," Valance said, sitting down on the large black couch near the center fireplace. Draco turned to face them.

"Did he say why you were here?"

Rockwell rolled his eyes.

"To make an example of you."

Draco frowned.

"There are others?"

Blaise nodded, walking over to where Draco stood.

"Practically the whole male Slytherin body is here, Draco. Apparently he thinks it'll sink in this time," he said.

"I'm wondering why it didn't sink in the first time," Goyle muttered to himself as he sat down beside Valance, but they all heard what he said. Draco watched each of them carefully before he spoke.

"It didn't sink in because I erased my memory of it," he told them coolly.

There was a silence in which the others just stared at Draco for what seemed like forever before someone spoke.

"Why the hell would you do that?" Rockwell asked.

"So that it wouldn't happen again," Draco answered simply.

"But you… you fell in love with her," Blaise whispered knowingly. "So that really didn't do much."

Draco shrugged and leaned against a wall.

"Well, if things go as planned, we'll all get what we want and we won't have to worry about who fell in love with who," he said, shooting a look at Blaise, who chose to ignore it. Instead, Blaise glanced down at his watch.

"Well Mr. I'm About to Act Like Harry Bloody Potter, do we have a part to play in your little hellbound plan or should we wait until the infamous Draco Malfoy is on his face, crying his eyes out-"

"That won't happen," Draco snapped, shooting a rather nasty look over at Blaise before he went over to a large mirror in his room. "Now… How do I look?"

"Like a prick," Valance said with a smirk, looking over the couch at Draco. The tall blonde Malfoy rolled his eyes, straightening his shirt.

"The silver on my cufflinks are in need of an overhaul," Draco suddenly said, looking at his shirt with displeasure. "Find me something…"

"Gold?"

There was a brief pause then a small smirk came on his face.

"Sure… why the hell not? Let's be rebellious," he muttered sarcastically.

Goyle and Valance stood up while Rockwell went over to the expensive mahogany nightstand by Draco's bed and opened up the bottom dresser. He pulled out four small gold cufflinks.

"Family emblem or Slytherin pride?" Rockwell asked.

"Let me see both," Draco responded and Rockwell handed them to him. Draco looked at the two pairs for a moment before he handed Rockwell back the cufflinks with the family emblem on them and put on the Slytherin cufflinks before he grabbed some more formal robes from his closet.

"How long do you think this will take?" Blaise asked as he moved to the door.

"Three days. If he does what he did last time, it'll be three days," Draco responded quietly, straightening his robes in front of the mirror. The others left the room quickly.

"Three days then."

When the door closed behind them, Draco took a deep breath and in about two minutes managed to erase all memories he had of Ginny Weasley, shoving them so far away from himself that he could feel the old, unfeeling Draco Malfoy slowly infiltrate his system and take control.

This was it…

The next three days would decide whether or not Draco was who he had been fashioned to be for the past few years… this was when Draco's world would crumble beneath him…

And all he couldn't do was blink…

Simple… right?

**A/N: And now it begins! Oh my goodness! I am sooooo excited about these scenes, not because of their content, but because of the feelings that are going to be brought out of everyone due to them! I'm nearly done with the sequence, so bear with me, I have a lot of other stuff to do, (including another story), so i would appreciate one review per reader, _please_. I know some of you were getting all anxious with my lull, but I'm not superwoman! These chapters wear me out also, so please don't rush them. Unless you all want crap, then I'll post the first thing I save instead of going over it each day for ten minutes to add little things. Because of my lulls, I add at least three extra pages of dialogue/description to something that would be very trivial. **

**So once again, thank you for only reviewing once. **

**I'm not bitter. Just annoyed. **

**Thank you very much.**

**Stephiie:** I'm glad you love it.

**younggem:** Well, I'm not exactly a hardcore H/G fan, but I enjoy the pairing for many different "plot" purposes. I had read a Dr/G story though and I thought it was great so I decided to test the pairing. It's actually one of the hardest pairings I've ever had to write. Harry and Ginny are straight forward because of Harry's self-sacrificing ways. Hermione and Ron are the _easiest_ because it's so obvious how to construct the obliviousness of the couple. Draco and Ginny are hard though because it's hard to create the relationship that seems real without completely stripping Draco of his... _Draconess_? It was just very hard to do, but hopefully I've done something right.

**Skepo:** We'll see...

**ronandmion4ever:** First of all, I hope you and your family are okay! I haven't been tracking the news about the hurricane _personally_ but I know a lot of people who are and they keep me updated from time to time. Secondly, yes! The Ron/Hermione action was _completely_ overdue so I figured any time was as good as any before I ruined Ron's life by placing Hermione in the hospital. I'm evil aren't I? You all probably saw that coming though... Thirdly, it's funny you mentioned the thing about how everything was falling apart since the chapter name is "Falls Apart", though the chapter name had been decided before you wrote the review. I just thought that it was funny that you picked up on it early. As for Draco and Ginny not being as "forbidden" as it is now. I guess there really wasn't much of an opportunity to show the audience just how _dangerous_ things could actually get. How dangerous Draco _knew_ things would get. But you've only seen the tip of the iceberg my dear friend. You'll be surprised how deep Draco's gotten himself into in the next couple of chapters. Don't worry, it made perfect sense to me.

**nextbestthing:** Oh believe me, it's best if you don't know.

**PhoenixTalons:** It's okay. I tend to get a little carried away with my replies and a little overprotective of my stories. It's been two+ years since I really started doing this and I know that doesn't seem like a long time, but for me, I've grown a little touchy about my plots. I guess I'm just overreacting. Oh well, I'm glad you enjoyed it!

**snowfire81:** Lucius is going to be a reoccuring person now, so I hope you're ready for it.

**aquarius89:** Those are questions for _much_ later...

**MeggyandHaku:** This isn't neccesarily going to be action sequences I'm doing, just so you know. They're more like... well, I'm not going to give it away.

**Chapter Tease: Because I enjoy making you suffer.**

_"So, Draco, this is your last chance to explain yourself. You last chance to walk out of hear with a clean conscience. This is your last chance to get out. After this, she's going to be doing all of the explaining," he said casually. _

_Draco said nothing. _

_Lucius smiled._

_"This is going to be fun, Draco..."_


	25. So Long Self

**A/N: Enjoy!**

_History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived again._** -Maya Angelou**

* * *

"There you are," came the silky voice of Narcissa Malfoy as she stood at the bottom of the main staircase of Malfoy Manor, watching with cold eyes as her son descended the steps with the ease of a man who had practiced it several times before. Narcissa looked like a queen in her spotless silver robes while her hair was made up in an intricate bun. Perfectly placed jewels highlighted her pale skin and impregnable grey eyes. When she noticed what he was wearing she smirked.

"Golden cufflinks," she murmured. "How appropriate."

Draco stopped at the bottom of the staircase and held out his arm for his mother to take. Once she had taken his arm, they began to make their way to the basement stairs, both moving in synchronized motions with stiff backs and high chins.

"Well, mother, you know how I like to dress for the occasion," he replied frigidly.

"I should have worn black then."

Draco rolled his eyes, but continued to escort his mother to the basement. When they got to the door, two large brutes stood there, eyeing Draco dangerously. Draco ignored them while his mother waved them aside and had them open the door for them. Instantly, Draco could hear shouts for justice echoing from the dark, stony death chambers below. Sighing, he moved in front of his mother and started down. As they walked through the dank corridors and down cold steps, Draco tried to concentrate on destroying all feelings he had towards Ginny. If there were no feelings, there would be no twitch, whimper or suicidal outburst. If there were no tells, then there would be no death. No deaths, no problem.

"_Survival is not an objective word. It can be interpreted in several different ways."_

That's what Snape had told him once.

To survive for some people meant to be at least healthy in the mediocre sense.

For Death Eaters like Draco's father, however, to survive meant to be alive, even if you were so close to death that all someone had to do was blow into your ear…

No deaths, no problem.

They reached another door. This one was bigger though and much heavier by the looks of it. There were ten guards that Draco could see, but knowing his father, there were probably more in the adjoining tunnels. A lot more.

One of the guards came over to Draco and patted him down while another used a magical scope to detect any offensive material that Draco might be carrying.

"This is insulting, Narcissa," Draco muttered. "You don't trust me?"

Narcissa smiled, but didn't look at him.

"I'll trust you when you're dead, Draco," she said as the doors opened to a large stone arena. Suddenly the noise silenced. There were no protests. No hissing or booing. No violent moves to humiliate him. There were no screams of anger or even tears from the shallow groupies in the corner to his left. There was no swearing, no curses, and no pain. Just a deathly silence that chilled even Draco to some extent as he walked past rows of ministry officials, former Death Eaters, Slytherin members and others who knew the Malfoy family well. They all stared at him through cold indifference, knowing that to speak would be a quick flick and short fall.

In front of him there were three large seats on a viewing platform.

_The best seats in the house_, Draco thought grimly.

One of them was already occupied by none other than Pansy Parkinson. She was wearing a very revealing black dress that had a slit that came right up to her hip and a neck that almost reached her naval, exposing most of her breasts as she sat there in enraged magnificence. She was the only one in the arena who seemed to have no problem expressing her hatred towards Draco through her eyes. If looks could kill, Draco's entrails would have been spilled out beneath him as he writhed, screaming, in a pit of fire. It wasn't a far leap from what was about to happen… only… he would have to keep the screaming and the writhing to himself.

When Draco sat down in the middle, with Pansy to his left and Narcissa to his right, Pansy placed a perfectly manicured hand over his that was resting on the arm rest. Draco turned to look at her and their eyes met for a moment, a smirk on Pansy's face.

"I'm going to enjoy this Draco," she whispered and Draco returned the look, but did not reply. Instead he turned his attention back to the silent arena, ignoring the urge to slam a knife into Pansy's throat. Narcissa placed a hand over Draco's other hand, squeezing it tightly.

"Isn't it nice to know that your death was so delicately planned with the highest esteem, Draco?" she asked silkily.

Draco sighed and offered an expressionless gaze to his mother, but again he didn't say a word. Narcissa raised an eyebrow at his self-restraint.

"No biting words from Draco Malfoy," she whispered. "My goodness, this is almost unreal."

Draco just smirked and returned to staring at the arena, ignoring the eyes that were on him. He scanned the arena seating quickly and caught sight of Zabini and Goyle sitting off to his left near a bunch of silent ministry officials. Rockwell and Valance were on his right, near a couple of Slytherin boys.

It was silent for a moment, letting Draco know that the end was about to come soon.

Sure enough, the doors opposite them opened slowly, allowing all to see Lucius Malfoy walk out with three guards. No one else was with him. Lucius approached the platform where his son was sitting and stopped short of it.

"So, Draco, this is your last chance to explain yourself. You last chance to walk out of hear with a clean conscience. This is your last chance to get out. After this, she's going to be doing all of the explaining," he said casually.

Draco said nothing.

Lucius smiled.

"This is going to be fun, Draco," he murmured before turning and walking to the center of the arena. "Do you all know why you are here?"

No response. Lucius' smirk broadened.

"Because a year ago today, we made an example of someone, but apparently it didn't stick, so today, we're going to do it again," he said, his eyes falling on Draco. "Maybe this time you'll understand… though I doubt it."

Draco watched as a side door opened and Ginny was dragged out, unconscious but otherwise untouched. She was wearing all white…

_Shit_, Draco thought as she was pulled to where Lucius stood. Whatever his father was planning, he wanted everyone to see every little thing that happened to her. _Every_ little thing. To his mild surprise and pleasant relief, she was no longer wearing the jewel he had given to her for Christmas. She was smart after all.

If Lucius found that, this whole thing would have been over today. There would be no need to wait with that sort of evidence.

Surprisingly, there was no hissing or booing or anything of the like when Ginny appeared. Just the same deathly silence that had fallen ever since he had arrived.

Lucius must have threatened them.

Draco kept a straight face as Lucius grabbed Ginny by her hair and held her head up so that everyone could see it.

"This, everyone, is a Weasley. A blood-traitor, mudblood-loving, Gryffindor bitch. And for the past few months, she has been the sole interest of Draco Malfoy," he growled. "Do you know the penalty for fraternizing with a blood-traitor?!"

Silence.

Lucius turned to Draco.

"Well, since no one here seems to know, let's wake the little whore up and see," he suggested, pulling out his wand and pointing it at her.

There was a moment of silence then Ginny woke up screaming and thrashing about, eyes wide with fear. Many broke out into laughter as she tried to break free of Lucius's grip, but she stopped when she caught sight of Draco, staring at her with emotionless eyes. It was as if he didn't recognize her. That's when she realized what was going on… it had started…

Lucius grinned.

"It's nice to know that someone can calm her down," he said to Draco, who just stared back like he always did. With no response.

Lucius pulled Ginny up so that she looked him in the eyes.

"Now, Weasley, do you know why you're here?"

An answer boiled up in the back of Ginny's throat, but that's as far as it got. She realized quickly that to say something at any time would be bad for herself. So she remained silent. Lucius glanced between her and Draco.

"It seems something's rubbed off, Draco," he said before he turned to her again. "Now, Weasley, did my son happen to mention anything about last Christmas?"

A flash of recognition in Ginny's eyes betrayed her and he smiled.

"Ah, so he did. Did he tell you about the man who tried to kill the Dark Lord, but was captured and tortured via his wife and daughter?"

At this point, it took everything in Draco's power not to lunge at Lucius.

It was then that Draco realized how much he was going to be tested. He couldn't move, breathe or even blink abnormally or Lucius would know immediately. If his heart beat quickened or blood pressure rose just a little then Lucius would know. Pansy Parkinson was sitting next to him for a reason.

All he could do was watch silently. That was something Draco had been good at for a long time, but now… to watch silently meant to stay completely still for hours…

"He told you how I broke down the man to a sobbing mess as his wife and daughter lay there, dying," Lucius whispered into Ginny's ear.

"He told you how I killed his wife and daughter, right before I killed him."

Ginny's eyes went to Draco as if she were asking what this had to do with anything.

This had to do with everything.

Lucius smiled, resting his cheek against hers so that they were both staring at Draco.

"But he didn't tell you that the man was him, did he?"

Ginny froze, but said nothing.

"I'm guessing he also didn't tell you that the woman was you…"

Suddenly it was as if everything hit Ginny in one colossal wave.

The embarrassment when he spoke…

The little speeches of not being able to do anything…

Three different emotions filled Ginny's eyes in that moment and everyone saw all of them.

Shock.

Fear.

Betrayal.

Her eyes met Draco's, and though his eyes showed absolutely nothing, she knew something had just died in both of them.

"Oh my God…"

* * *

"How is she?"

Ron looked up from staring at Hermione to see Harry enter the hospital room with two cups in his hand. Harry handed one of the cups to Ron before sitting down beside him. Ron looked down at the pumpkin juice in his hand before he returned to Hermione, who just lay there in bandages, her breathing shallow and her skin pale.

"Not well, Harry," he whispered.

Harry studied his friend for a moment, noticing his red eyes and pale features as well as the tear stains that ran down his cheeks.

"She's going to make it, Ron," he whispered. "She's strong."

"What if she doesn't?"

Harry felt his heart contract painfully at the thought and he took a deep breath.

"She'll make it," he said through gritted teeth. Ron could hear the tension in Harry's voice and sighed. They were silent for a while before Ron spoke.

"Have you heard anything on Ginny?" he asked.

Harry shook his head.

"I haven't heard a thing. Not since they searched Malfoy's place."

"I heard there was no one there."

Harry shrugged.

"That's what they said…"

They fell into another bout of silence, each lost in similar fears about what was to come.

* * *

It had been two hours and no one had said a single word. Someone had sneezed, but he had been dealt with.

Draco continued to sit in the same stiff, regal position in his chair, ignoring Pansy's hand that was stroking his as she sat beside him, a devilish smile on her plastic features. Narcissa had disappeared an hour ago with Lucius, leaving Ginny to sit there in the middle of the arena, silent and terrified. She hadn't said a word since Lucius had revealed to her what had happened last Christmas. She hadn't looked up since then either.

Not that Draco wanted her to. It was better for him if she didn't keep looking at him like she was waiting for him to rescue her. If she didn't look at him, the guilt of what was going to happen would be much less.

Ginny, on the other hand, wasn't trying to reason with herself about the reality of the situation. She was trying to figure out why Draco had kept something like this away from her for so long. He must have known what he was getting himself into before school had started. He would have known when they saw each other in the Shrieking Shack.

How could he not have told her? Not have warned her?

How could he have been so selfish?

The creaking of the large oak doors brought Ginny out of her thoughts and forced her to turn her gaze to Lucius, who had a very evil smile on his face. Narcissa trailed after him and took her spot beside Draco, whose face was still an ice block.

"I'm going to enjoy this more than you are, Weasley," he said before looking over at Draco. "And I'm sure more than he is."

"Piss off," she snapped before she could stop it from slipping out of her mouth. Instantly there was an uproar as Lucius struck her hard across the face. Men laughed while women hissed at Ginny, who clutched her face in pain while blood trickled from the deep cut Lucius had left with his ring.

"Watch your mouth, you bitch," he growled, fixing his ring properly. "You have _no_ idea what you've gotten yourself into."

"Bite me," she growled.

Lucius leaned into Ginny's ear.

"Oh don't worry, I'll have the pleasure of doing that later," he growled. "But first…"

Ginny's scream of pain echoed the arena as she tugged desperately at her hand which was now stuck to the ground by a large nail that Lucius had driven quickly into the center of her hand. The older Malfoy struck her glaringly in the face with the hammer he had used, causing her to fall in a way that forced her hand to roll in an excruciating position, making her scream even harder as she tried to roll over. But Lucius placed his foot on her chest, pushing her down on her back as she continued to pull at her pinned hand while the other tried to get rid of him.

Lucius looked up at Pansy, who looked ravenous at this point, gripping the armrests tightly with barely controlled madness.

"Would you like to have a go?" he asked.

Pansy's eyes widened with excitement and she flew from her seat to where Ginny lay and kicked Ginny in the face hard with her heeled shoe, placing a deep gash in Ginny's temple. As Ginny writhed on the ground, Pansy got down on top of her, straddling her and leaned into Ginny's ear.

"I'm going to make you pay for what you've done," she growled.

"YES!" a couple of Slytherin boys yelled, rousing many others to eagerly stand up and cheer Pansy on as she unbuttoned Ginny's shirt slowly. However, Ginny wasn't about to give in that quickly. Her other hand flew out of no where and she caught Pansy by the eye, causing her to howl and tumble off of Ginny. Another scream rent the air as Ginny yanked her shredded hand out of the nail, clutching it to her body closely as Pansy stood up in a rage.

"You bitch!" she yelled, the side of her face bleeding from where Ginny's nails had scratched her. Ginny stood up a little straighter, despite her injuries.

"Go to hell!"

Inside, Draco felt a sort of parental pride for Ginny's somewhat suicidal outspokenness.

However, that pride was short lived when Pansy plowed into Ginny, knocking her back onto the ground. At first it seemed as if Ginny might have actually had a chance until Pansy pulled out a knife from nowhere and began to plunge it into Ginny's side, causing the redhead to double over. Ginny tried to crawl away, but Pansy dived onto the girl's back and stabbed her repeatedly, blood spraying everywhere as Pansy's madness reached its climax.

Everything in Draco wanted to kill Pansy as he watched Ginny writhe there in torment, unable to stop the onslaught. He had to force every rage, fear and pain that he was feeling away from him and watch with nothing but cold indifference.

But he wasn't indifferent.

He was enraged.

He was murderous.

But there was nothing he could do as Lucius finally grabbed Pansy and yanked her off of Ginny, shoving her away angrily.

"Don't kill her you bitch," Lucius snarled, waving his wand over Ginny quickly before her eyes closed. A few of the many gashes disappeared, but she continued to gurgle up blood as she rolled over on her stomach and threw up, making many in the arena laugh and cheer as Pansy was led out to be cleaned up after her attack of vengeance. But the cheering was quickly silenced by a look from Narcissa, who had been watching Draco the entire time. For a while, all you could hear was Ginny's weak breathing followed by the sounds of blood and bile hitting the floor.

And Draco watched the entire thing without saying a word.

After a nod from Narcissa, Lucius pulled out his wand and pointed it at her.

Ginny's agonized shrieks echoed everywhere and tortured Draco silently as he watched her cry on the ground, bleeding profusely, but never dying… never dying…

"Tell me, Draco. Did she scream like this for you?" Lucius asked as she continued to be tortured. All eyes moved away from Ginny and fell on Draco, who met his father's eyes and a smirk came to his face. But he never said a thing. Narcissa smiled and looked at him.

"Good boy. Last time we did this, you were screaming profanities," she whispered.

Nothing.

Narcissa turned back to Ginny, who was now starting to crawl away from Lucius.

"Where are you going, Weasley?"

He leaned down and grabbed her foot, wrenching it around swiftly in the nastiest angle.

"NO!" she screamed in agony, but when she tried to pull away, he stepped on her broken leg, making her scream harder. She whirled around quickly, ignoring the searing pain in her leg and grabbed his leg, pulling him off of her. When she was released she began to crawl desperately towards the oak doors. Shockwaves of hot electric power shot through her hand and up to her brain. She was blown back and slammed into the floor. As she lay there, gasping for air, her lungs burning, she saw Lucius circle her, wand trained on her.

"Oh, Weasley. You're making this too easy for me," he said.

Suddenly, she felt as if she was being constricted everywhere. Her throat was starting to suffocate itself and her lungs screamed for the air that no longer came as everything continued to get darker, the lack of oxygen finally getting to her.

Then it stopped and she sucked in air quickly, ignoring the boos from the crowd when Lucius had released her.

Lucius however, didn't seem to care.

"Don't worry… I've got something even better for her," he said, his eyes moving over to Draco. "Go get Draco's wand."

When Ginny heard this she let out a loud sob and people started laughing as a guard brought in Draco's wand and handed it to Lucius, who motioned for Draco to come down and claim it.

For a moment it seemed as if Draco was going to refuse, but then he stood up and came down from the platform. He approached his father and took his wand slowly, his eyes moving to Ginny, who stared up at him through terrified eyes.

"Oh my God," she sobbed. The fear that gripped her soul was tormenting. She knew exactly what Draco was capable of and she knew exactly what was expected of him… and she knew he could not disappoint.

Lucius smiled.

"God can't help you," he said, watching his son carefully. "Well Draco?"

There was a moment where Draco just stood there, staring down at her before he pointed his wand down at her and with absolutely no emotion murmured a curse.

Ginny's body erupted in bloody gashes, burning, stinging and torturing her entire being as she tried to scream. But she couldn't as once again her throat began to close up on her, leaving her with no air and every single pain possible.

But Draco didn't stop there.

He couldn't….

He kicked her over onto her stomach and ripped the rest of her shirt off her back before calling for four volunteers. Four Slytherin boys eagerly bounded onto the arena and held down Ginny's arms and legs. She managed to turn her head to see Draco conjuring three wooden stakes, his eyes on her the entire time.

"Draco please," she cried. "Don't do this!"

But this time he wasn't enraged. He wasn't bordering on hysteria or even insanity. He was calm, cold and calculating every move he made with the precision of one who had done this thousands of times before. Whether he had wanted to or not.

This was the Draco Malfoy people had come to fear and even the guys who were holding her down seemed a bit horrified at what he was about to do.

This was the Draco Malfoy she had feared would show up sooner or later…

"No," she sobbed right before unimaginable pain coursed up and down her body with such magnitude, she nearly passed out as the first stake was driven into her back with deliberate slowness. She could no longer see anything and all she could hear were the roaring cheers and the thunderous howls as the spectators worked itself into a hysterical beating applaud. She couldn't even hear herself scream…

She didn't even realize that he had rammed two more stakes into her back. She had passed out by then.

Draco finally pulled out the stakes and tossed them to the side, handing his father his bloodstained wand, meeting his father's glee-filled eyes with ones of complete hatred. Lucius smiled.

"Cheer up, Draco," he said as he headed back to the platform and sat down. "I think you actually enjoyed that."

* * *

Entering his room, Draco tried desperately to keep it together as he paced the room. His breathing became even more labored as he walked around, trying to crush the images of her writhing body and pleading eyes.

He couldn't lose it now.

It was only the first day.

But everything in him was screaming in pain. Everything was telling him that he ought to have collapsed a long time ago…

What type of person was he that he couldn't even cry for the person he loved?

A wave of rage overtook him and he grabbed the first thing he saw, a crystal snake, and lobbed it across the room with a bellow of anger.

"You sound like you're having a hard time in there."

Draco sobered up instantly at the sound of Pansy's voice and he opened the door quickly.

"Did you need something?"

Pansy entered the room and sat down on his bed, patting the area beside her for Draco to sit.

"I was just interested in knowing about anything you needed to tell me before tomorrow. Because we all know how _horrible_ it's going to get," she said.

Draco stood where he was.

"I have nothing to say to you."

Pansy smirked.

"You're imagination has certainly grown since the last time I saw you, Draco. The last time I saw you torture someone, you used a rather odd method of breaking their jaw completely off. I _loved _the symbols of the stakes," she whispered, walking over to him and standing right in front of him. "The idea of screwing her was very vivid. I only hope it wasn't true."

"Pleasure to keep you entertained," Draco replied coldly.

Pansy faked looking hurt.

"_Oh_ such hostility, Draco," she murmured, her hands moving over his face and down his neck. "Is it from watching the woman you love being tortured, _or_," she said, her hands running down his chest. "Have you just not been laid in a while?" she asked, her hands resting on his crotch.

Draco smirked and removed her hands from him.

"You seemed to have lost your imagination with the knife, Parkinson. What? Did Weasley get to you? Did it hurt to know that she took a position you never got?"

Pansy matched his look, glancing down at his pants with eagerness.

"I've got a few positions that'll make you hurt," she whispered in a voice that was shaking with excitement.

Draco rolled his eyes and pulled away from her.

"Always the aggressor, Parkinson. When will you ever learn that submission earns you more points?" he asked. Pansy watched him sit at his desk and walked over to him.

"Don't forget who your first was, Draco," she hissed, straddling him and grinding her hips against his. "You'll never get rid of me."

"We'll see about that," Draco growled.

Pansy smirked and leaned into Draco's ear.

"Well, until then, I'll just make sure to let slip to the Slytherin boys the password to Weasley's cell. I'm sure they'd _love_ to go visit her," she whispered.

Draco shoved her violently off of him, causing her to hit her head hard against the floor.

"Now, Draco, didn't I teach you how to play nice?"

He turned to see his mother watching him with cold eyes and an equally cold smile. On the floor, Pansy was laughing as she touched the back of her head.

"Oh, I'm going to _love_ tomorrow."

**A/N: Thank all of you soooo much for your patience! I know it must have been hard for some of you to sit there at the computer and not able to drop little hints to me to update a bit quicker. I _really_ appreciate your self-control or whatever. Really. It helps when my inbox isn't filling up with complaints about my speed. It allows me to concentrate better. **

**Well, as you can see, this is some serious stuff Draco has gotten himself in and Ginny is suffering the consequences. Physically anyway. I'm pretty sure Draco's in just as much pain as she is when it comes to emotionally. He's just better at hiding it. Of course...**

**Also, I'd like to clear something up for a few of you. **

**Draco didn't get rid of his recent memories of Ginny. He got rid of the memories he had from last Christmas when that thing happened. He erased his memories of _that_ in hopes that it wouldn't happen again. **

**nextbestthing:** Oh, he does love her, he just has a very nasty way of showing it.

**jennny:** I hope you have a different word for this chapter. :-)

**hpfreaklol:** Glad you waited.

**Skepo:** Yes, well, everyone has their moments.

**PhoenixTalons:** I hope this cliffhanger was not as bad as the other.

**tamara72:** Those are all very good questions, and some of them may be answered soon.

**younggem:** Well, both their lives depend on Draco keeping his cool. Draco loses it and then it's a repeat of last Christmas.

**snowfire81:** Just last Christmas's memories.

**MeggyandHaku:** Well, hopefully your long wait paid off!

**Once again, I'm going to ask all of you not to review more than once. No one did last time, I just want to repeat myself in case some of you thought it was a one time thing. **

**Thanks!**

**Chapter Tease: (You guys are going to hate me for this)**

"I'm only going to ask you one more time and then I'll take you back to Malfoy Manor and have you answer to Judas," Malfoy growled. "Who told you to come here?

The man let out a whimper and then another strangled sob. 


	26. Treason

**A/N: This chapter is going to be **_**very**_** interesting.**

_When we were children, we used to think that when we were grown-up we would no longer be vulnerable. But to grow up is to accept vulnerability... To be alive is to be vulnerable._ **-Madeleine L'Engle**

* * *

When they dragged her out, she still had some gashes on her arms and her legs and she would let out a stifled cry of pain every time her broken leg was jarred. But other than that, Draco could tell she had not been touched since yesterday, which led him to believe that Narcissa had warned Pansy about telling the password.

His mother was useful after all.

Draco noticed, with some stifled surprise, that Blaise was missing from the crowd of angry blood-lusters. His eyes met with Rockwell briefly and the young man gave a curt nod, telling him that everything was okay.

Once again, things were quiet as Ginny was brought in, letting her know that something about today was going to be very wrong.

"Do you all know why we're doing this?" Lucius asked as he swept into the arena, his black robes allowing his pale skin to glow in the dimly lit area. When no one responded, Lucius pointed to Draco.

"Because he wouldn't take the Dark Mark," he said simply. "Do you know _why_ he wouldn't take the Dark Mark?"

There was a sudden uproar of many screaming traitor and coward.

For a while Lucius let them scream, but when things started to get a bit violent, he held up his hands and silence reigned once again.

"But, we're not here to judge him on just that one crime, are we? No… we're here to see what else Draco Malfoy failed to do," Lucius said, turning his gaze upon Draco. "Or not do," he added suggestively.

Draco remained still while Ginny started trembling for no reason. Or at least no reason Draco could see. As far as he was concerned, this would be the best day of her life and the worst day of his.

Tomorrow, he would understand.

But not today.

Not today.

"Make sure she doesn't move. The memories come clearly when they don't squirm," Lucius directed while the ones who had been holding Ginny tied her to the ground in a sitting position, gagging her and forcing her to look straight at Draco, who stared straight back without a blink.

Lucius looked around one last time before he pointed his wand in the air and waved it around. A large silver cloud appeared and hovered above them, swirling and constricting with the little air that flowed where they were.

He then looked down at Ginny.

"Let's see what you have up there."

There was a momentary pain and then Ginny's world suddenly exploded with memories.

It seemed as if he was trying to find something because every memory she had had from now since her arrival at Hogwarts a few months ago.

Suddenly everything froze and she felt as if she were being pulled away from her own memories. She could see them moving away from her, yet they were still there, alive and vivid… but still fading away…

"_Please, Draco!" he rasped. "I didn't know she was here! I swear I didn't!"_

_Ginny frowned. _

"_Who told you?"_

"_Please!"_

_In a bout of anger, Malfoy slammed the man's head into the wall near by and the man crumpled to the ground in a blubbering, bleeding heap. Ginny let out a squeak in horror and Malfoy froze. He glanced around the room and for one frightful moment Ginny saw his eyes rest on where she lay, paralyzed. He then turned back to Dervus, who was still wheezing on the ground._

"_I'm only going to ask you one more time and then I'll take you back to Malfoy Manor and have you answer to Judas," Malfoy growled. "Who told you to come here?_

_The man let out a whimper and then another strangled sob. _

There was another wave of pain and then she lay there panting on the ground as Lucius circled her, rolling his eyes. There were a few people laughing at Ginny as she struggled to her knees while others jeered at the lack of interesting memories.

"Oh come now, Ms. Weasley. We all know that much about Draco. Let's see something better."

First the pain came and then once again she was fading into the darkness of her memories that began to flood her brain again.

"_Shut up, Weasley," he growled. _

"_Bite me," she snapped, making one last ditch attempt to get free. Draco's eyes ran over her face before they landed on her lips. _

_Before she could object he captured her lips in his with a searing kiss. Ginny's eyes widened in surprise before they closed, her body succumbing tothe kiss as Draco released her hands so that his own could once again explore her, his need to feel her on his fingertips overpowering him. Her hands in turn fell to his arms, gripping them tightly as she pulled him closer to her._

_Draco smiled into her lips when she shuddered under his touch, her reaction obviously amusing him. Bringing his lips away from hers, he dipped his head down to her neck. Ginny gasped at the action but shivered again as he sucked and kissed her fiercely, holding her close to him as he did. She felt one of his hands travel down past her hip to her thigh where he took hold of her leg and pulled it up to his side, pulling her closer at the same time. The hand that held her leg began to massage it, making Ginny whimper in protest, her grip on his arms tightening even further. He growled a warning, biting down hard on her soft luscious skin as he tried to assert dominance. Ginny yielded almost instantly, her body reacting with his perfectly. _

_He unclasped the clip of her school robes with one hand and reached up with both to shove them off her shoulders. He pulled away from her to take in the simple white blouse and Gryffindor skirt that graced her pale yet utterly gorgeous body. He watched as her chest moved up and down quickly, trying desperately to regain the air Draco had removed with a single touch. _

_Ginny watched him silently as he continued to study her neck, where she could feel a bruise start form. Ginny could feel his cool fingers curl around her throat, applying only slight pressure, and for a moment his eyes met hers. Then the next instant he seemed to be staring past her. _

"_You need to go," he whispered. _

Ginny released a choking gasp as she was released again on the ground. However this time, a silence reigned over the entire crowd as their eyes fell on Draco, whose eyes were straight forward. Pansy looked annoyed. Lucius was the only one who said a word.

"Now we're getting somewhere," he whispered, watching Draco closely. He didn't move. "Well, let's see what else you have in there."

The pain came and went away just like the other times.

"_Ginny… he's dangerous…"_

_When the girl noticeably paled, Hermione frowned. _

"_I know… I know, Hermione…"_

"_Then why are you perusing something that will end catastrophically?"_

"_Why are you still friends with Ron even after everything he's done to you?"_

"_Ginny, that's not the same-"_

"_It's exactly the same, Hermione!" Ginny snapped. "Answer the question."_

_Hermione was surprised by the outburst, noticing a distinct hint of panic in Ginny's normally calm voice. She stared at Ginny for what seemed like forever, her feelings for Ron becoming more prominent by the second. _

"_Ginny… you couldn't possibly… don't tell me you're… you're in love with Malfoy…"_

_Ginny's face paled even more. _

"_I… I don't know, Hermione… He scares me to no end yet… I… I can't stop thinking about him… and the way he kisses me…"_

"_Oh no, Ginny," Hermione moaned. "Does he know?"_

"He does now," someone in the crowd scoffed, causing everyone else to break out in a hysterical fit of laughter that echoed off the stone walls. Lucius grinned, but said nothing. Narcissa however, stood and walked over to where Ginny was on the ground.

"Tell me, Weasley. Why _did_ you stay with my son when you knew it would end catastrophically?" she asked coldly.

When Ginny refused to answer, Narcissa kicked out at her with a pointed heel, catching her painfully in the stomach. Ginny's eyes watered in pain, but she refused to make a noise. This only made Narcissa smile.

"You know, Weasley. The more you act like a bitch the longer this will take and judging by the way you were screaming, I don't think you want that to happen."

When the redhead didn't respond, Narcissa rolled her eyes and turned to Draco.

"Draco, I really don't see what was so special," she said before returning to her seat, leaving Lucius and Ginny in the arena.

"Let's see if we can find the importance of Weasley," he whispered before flicking his wand at her. Ginny's eyes bulged for a moment before she fell into her memories again.

Only this time, the revelation to the world was detrimental.

"_Oh God…"_

_Draco's hands were under her skirt and were toying with her knickers. His mouth was planting kisses all along her neck, down her throat and down the bone between her breasts._

"Draco!" she squealed when he bit down on her soft skin. Draco broke off his kisses for a few moments and looked into Ginny's eyes.

"What?" he asked, breathing hard as he tried to control his urge to rip off the rest of her clothing and ravish her right then and there. He saw her eyes close as she tried to compose a clear thought, but the hand that was on her thigh was doing things to her that discarded any rational thought out the window. For someone who was supposed to be a cruel, heartless bastard, his touch was unbelievably warm.

"_Nothing…" she whispered, groaning as his lips met hers again, pulling her as close as their bodies would allow. He plunged his tongue into her mouth, causing her to moan. He marveled in the way her body felt against his. He felt powerful. Strength rippled through his muscles as he kissed her. _

_They had somehow managed to remove all outer clothing from each others bodies as they continued to spiral deeper into the explosive dreamland that was filling the room around them. _

_All the frustration that he felt escaped his lips in one loud growl as he pulled her closer. _

"_Draco wait!"_

_Reality had once again crashed down upon Ginny and when it finally dawned on her what she was about to do and who she was about to do it with, panic struck her. He could feel her literally shaking in his arms and he pulled away to see fear surge through her brown eyes. _

"_I can't," she gasped. "I can't, I can't, I can't."_

_His eyes traveled over her body with lust and it took absolutely everything in his power not to dive back onto her. _

_He reached out to touch her face and she closed her eyes, afraid of what he might do. She felt him lean down on her, his hot breath teasing her skin. _

"_Please… I can't," she whispered pleadingly. Draco closed his eyes at the sound of her shaky voice and took a deep breath. _

"_Damn it, Weasley," he growled severely into her ear before he got up and left the room quickly, leaving her lying there. She closed her eyes and tried not to let the tears fall as she took a calming breath. _

"_What am I _doing_?"_

There was a momentary silence in which every single person, except Ginny, stared at Draco, not in hatred or amusement, but in genuine disbelief.

Draco had not slept with her…

Draco Malfoy had not shagged Ginny Weasley.

"Oh my God," someone murmured. It took a moment for Draco to realize that it was Pansy. In the corner of his eye he could see her shaking with barely controlled euphoria. He could see in her eyes the look she had given him many times. The knowing look that had never been justified until now. "Oh my God," she whispered again, a bit louder. Though her eyes screamed hilarity, her tone was tinted with something else.

There was another silence as they all continued to stare at her before Pansy leapt up from her seat and suddenly started laughing hysterically, pointing between Draco and Ginny as she staggered down from the platform and over to where Ginny lay. Innocent in her actions, yet guilty for her unintentional seduction of the young man, who until now had been thought to be unstoppable, the redhead was the reasons for Pansy's cruel dismissals in the past.

Now it all made sense.

"Oh my God!" she shrieked, turning her wild dark eyes onto the blonde who still had not moved from his statue like position. "You couldn't do it! You couldn't do it!" She turned to look down in disgust at Ginny. "She's not even beautiful!" But even as she said it, her eyes flared with an emotion no one had ever seen on Pansy's face before.

Jealousy.

Pansy Parkinson was jealous of how Draco had handled Ginny before he had stopped himself. She was jealous of the way Draco had kissed her… caressed her… held her… Pansy was jealous of the way he had been so gentle, while still moving with intensity no one had known he contained.

But she was also jealous of the vulnerability that Ginny had brought to Draco. Of how he had submitted to her needs instead of satisfying his own… how he had looked at her with a lust… no a _love_ that he had never shown to her…

But it wasn't just Draco who could see the envy in Pansy's eyes. The entire audience had seen the way Draco had treated Ginny. They had seen the way he had looked at her and they knew Pansy was seething inside.

There was a murmur of disapproval from many of the men in the crowd to Pansy's statement, but it was silenced quickly by a look from none other than Draco, who had finally stood up from his seat to walk down to where Pansy stood. Everyone watched with bated breath, hoping that the Malfoy would give them some indication of remorse or anger. Instead, he smirked. She met his gaze.

"You're a coward, Draco," she growled through clenched teeth. "You're so afraid of her association with Potter-" The audience hissed at the name. "-that you can't even shag a stupid little sixth-year Gryffindor bitch." She tilted her head to the side. "Unless… you've lost it."

Draco glanced over at his father, knowing that he was being watched carefully.

"So you _want_ me to shag the stupid little sixth-year Gryffindor bitch?" he asked evenly, knowing this question would put more pressure on Pansy than on himself. Pansy must have realized this as well because she turned a furious shade of red and glared daggers at him.

"You bastard," she growled menacingly. "You're the pathetic one. Now everyone knows that Draco Malfoy, the Prince of Slytherin doesn't have it in him to do what he does best. He can't even stand up to a little Weasley girl," she hissed. She looked around at the amused audience. "All hail Draco Malfoy, Slytherin Prince, Hogwarts' Bad Boy, Mudblood Hater, liar, thief, seducer, murder, bastard, traitor…," she stepped up right in front of him, her eyes matching his in coldness. "And pussy."

A few people had wide eyes while others laughed nervously at Pansy's words. Many stared at the two tensely, her words much more dangerous than she probably even knew. Draco stared at her coldly for a while before he spoke in a deceptively calm voice.

"You know what I love most about you, Pansy," he whispered.

"What?" she asked incredulously, very well aware of the risk she was taking being so close to him.

Draco wrapped an arm around her waist and moved behind her, pulling her to his chest roughly. When a jagged breath escaped her lips, he smiled leaning into her neck so that he could see Ginny better. She was staring at the ground, concentrating on something… or trying to block something out.

"Your beautiful body," he whispered. He saw Ginny flinch a little but he knew they would all think of is a response to the cold floor and wounds. "And your impeccable ability to piss me off."

"What are you going to do about it, Draco?" she asked breathlessly, closing her eyes when his hands began to move lower down her body.

"Nothing…" he whispered. "To you."

Everyone was surprised to find out that the bloodcurdling scream that ripped through the tense air of the arena did not come from Pansy's lips, but from the tortured lips of Ginny Weasley, who writhed in unbelievable pain on the ground from the inaudible curse Draco had shot at her. Several stood up to get a better view and to really see who was being cursed. Draco shoved Pansy to the side, his wand still pointed to a shrieking Ginny. Others however, took a step back, unaware of the fact that Draco had been carrying a wand.

It seemed that Lucius and Narcissa had not known either because while Narcissa stood up, pulling out her wand, Lucius took an unnoticed step back from his armed son. The two parents met gazes and then turned to Draco, who had finally stopped cursing Ginny. She was now gasping desperately on the ground, sobbing uncontrollably in between throwing up. Pansy was wild with a sick pleasure by this point and was all over Draco, his unexpected actions turning her on. Many in the crowds, particularly the Slytherin boys, loved it.

"ENOUGH!"

_BANG!_

The loud sound brought everyone back to reality. Soon all that could be heard was Ginny's moans, which Draco chose to ignore rather than listen to and be tortured himself. Lucius, who was still glancing warily at Draco's wand hand, spoke again.

"Now… I think it's time for lunch," he said coolly, shooting a look at Narcissa, who quickly disappeared out of the arena. "All of you will be eating down here. Pansy," he snapped, noticing that she was inching toward Ginny. "Upstairs," he growled. She did as she was told, but not without casting a murderous glare at Ginny. Lucius stepped over to Draco and held his hand out. "As for you," he whispered dangerously. Draco smirked and gave the wand to his father. "You'll get her ready to meet your parents."

Draco said nothing and waited until Lucius left. There was a brief silence and then two flashes of green light flashed from under the large oak doors. Taking a deep breath, Draco leaned down to pick Ginny up. Still wrapped up in the pain that was coursing through her system, she began to scream again when he touched her, trying to crawl away.

"SHUT UP!" Draco bellowed, more upset at himself for letting it get this far rather than at her noisemaking, and she fell silent and still, crying because of the pain. Many laughed as he left with her in his arms, knowing very well that worse was going to come.

* * *

He set her down in the large bathtub, aware of the fact that she was shaking terribly from shock. He quickly moved around, filling the tub with hot water, cool bubbles and a potion that would heal the wounds quickly while calming her down. Her crying soon became soft sniffles as she began to breathe easily.

"Turn around," he whispered, forcing her to turn away from him. As soon as the water reached her neck, he reached in and began to pull off what little clothes she had on; an easy thing to do when most of it was ripped anyway. Too weak to protest, she let him undress her; thankful for the warm water that seeped into her wounds. Draco watched her eyes close and after a moment he knew she was sleeping in the tub. It was then that he allowed himself to recall his last disturbing act against her.

His father had been watching him all morning and when the last memory had come up, he had to think of how to get out of explaining himself without attracting too much suspicion. The only way to do that was by drawing a lot of attention to himself, therefore Ginny's tortuous episode. He hated what he had to do to her and what he became when he did it to her, but he had told her before that he would not be the good guy.

He had told her that he could not protect her.

But he needed to keep her alive and away from Lucius as much as possible and the only way to do that was by torturing her himself. Though it was just as brutal, especially to him, it wasn't as emotionally exhausting for her as watching Draco just sit there and do nothing.

It didn't make sense, but it worked to keep her alive. As long as she was alive, he would be sane.

Sighing, he left the bathroom and snapped his fingers. Two house elves appeared, bowing to him.

"Master?"

Draco pointed to the bathroom.

"I need dress robes for her," he whispered before proceeding to tell them her dress size and shoe size. "Good ones," he added, knowing that they knew who was in the bathroom and would get what they had been told to get for someone of her rank. "Something Parkinson would wear."

The elves hesitated for a moment at the statement before nodding and disappearing again.

"Draco," came Ginny's weak voice. For the first time in a long time, Draco hesitated. It was for only an instance, but to him it seemed like an eternity.

She was in there, weak, in pain and completely unaware of what was about to happen.

They were too carefully monitored for him to totally warn her, so he would have to hope that she was sane enough to handle the war that was to come.

He came in to see her fully alert in the water, looking at something on the wall. He sat on the ledge and she turned to him.

At first he expected anger or loathing, but instead he saw sadness. All of the thoughts that had run through his mind earlier had already crossed hers. She understood his need to protect her at whatever cost and that's what sent a shiver down his back. She would not hate him.

Her wet red hair stuck out obnoxiously against her insipid skin and the dark bruises under her tragic brown eyes only made her appearance seem worse.

"Are you okay?"

Draco couldn't help but laugh. It was a loud bitter laugh that resounded off the cold grey marble floors and walls. It sent a cold feeling through Ginny's body.

"What?" she asked weakly.

Draco stared at her in disbelief.

"Parkinson kicks the crap out of you, my father breaks you, in both senses of the word, and I…" Ginny saw his eyes grow dark with not guilt, but hatred. "I tortured you until you couldn't even remain conscious… and you're asking me if I'm okay."

Ginny visibly paled and she looked away from him. Her hand traveled over her shoulder to the raised scars on her back where he had driven in the stakes. Closing her eyes, she pulled her knees up to her chest and rested her chin on them, trying not to cry. When she felt Draco's cool hand reach out for her, she pulled away quickly, her body still terrorized by his previous actions. Draco stared at her for a moment, knowing that she deserved some sort of explanation for his behavior over the past two days, no matter _how_ much she wouldn't understand.

"I'm not going to apologize for what I did to you," he whispered, his eyes watching her red hair float above the bubbles. The tear in her heart seemed to rip right then, open to the bitter truth of his cold words. "If I hadn't of done it, Pansy would have… and Lucius wouldn't have stopped her."

"It would have been better," she whispered. "It would have been better-"

"No it wouldn't have," Draco snapped angrily. "No it wouldn't have and you know it, so don't start making excuses for things you know aren't true."

Ginny was silent for a while, numb by his heated words. Her mind was going at hyper speed as she tried to digest the meanings.

Could him hurting her _possibly_ be better than watching him sit idly by and do nothing?

Was one sin equal to another in this instance or was Draco's convoluted interruption on Pansy's parade the lesser of two evils?

"You could have pretended."

"Lucius would have known."

"You could have stopped sooner," she muttered, clearly grasping at the air for explanations.

"Then Pansy would have stepped in."

"You could have-"

"Damn it, Weasley, stop!"

"No!" Ginny snapped, turning around to glare at him. "You could have done something!"

"There was nothing I could have done, except for what I did," he hissed.

"You don't have to-"

"SHUT UP!" Draco bellowed, irritated by her. She stared at him with tears in her eyes as he glared at her. His expression softened slightly at her reaction to him, but only slightly. His eyes were still blazing and his jaw was tight as he leered at her through silver orbs. "_Bloody hell, _when are you going to accept the fact that I am _never_ going to be good," he growled, needing her to know the truth. "I am _never_ going to be able to save you. You can't make excuses for me."

Ginny bit the inside of her cheek to keep from retorting back with hate filled words.

"I'm not _trying_ to make excuses," she hissed. "I'm not _trying_ to change you. I know _exactly_ what you are and I _hate_ that person. I _loathe_ that person..."

"Then what do you want?"

She was silent for a moment.

"You," she whispered.

"Me?"

She nodded, becoming silent. When she felt his hand reach out for her again, she took it this time in hers and pressed it to her cheek. Ginny rested her head against her knees, breathing in deeply.

"I hated you… I hated you _so much_," she whispered finally through clenched teeth. She felt him grow tense and even try to pull away, but she held on to him, not wanting to let him go just yet. Though her body felt ruthlessly violated by him, her heart yearned for the comfort that she had been missing for the past couple of days. Maybe even since she had last seen him in the hospital… "I wanted you to die…" She ran his hand over her lips, missing the feel of them. "I guess I still do…" she added resentfully. "I… I want to know that you still… _feel_… I just want to know that… that it _hurts_ you to do those things…"

It _did_ hurt… more than she could bear to fathom… more than he could bear to show…

Every fiber in his body ached to show her just how much he hurt… just how much he… he loved her…

Draco stared at her for a moment, waiting for her to speak again. Longing to hear her speak, if only to hear more scathing damnations escape her lips…

For a while they were just there, each lost in a painful reality that had become their only reason for living. Both of them were trapped; Ginny because she could not leave and Draco because he couldn't leave her, no matter how much his conscience was telling him he should.

She finally opened her eyes and looked over her shoulder at him through teary red eyes.

"I'm sorry," she whispered almost inaudibly. Draco ran a hand down her face, causing her to close her eyes again at the gentleness of the touch. Though she had only been here for two days, it felt like an eternity since she had felt… loved?

"Why?"

To his surprise, she offered a weak smile and kissed his long pale fingers almost lovingly.

"Because… if I hadn't been trapped by your father last year none of this would have never happened," she murmured against his skin.

"Ah," Draco whispered in understanding, turning around and kneeling down outside of the tub so that he could look at her carefully. "Well… you see… if you hadn't been trapped by Lucius, then we wouldn't have had those loathsome dreams… and if we hadn't have had those dreams, you wouldn't be here in my bathtub… naked."

Despite the fact that she was still in some pain, the blush showed through her extremely pale skin. But the look on her face was far from embarrassed. It became, if possible, more miserable. She turned slightly and rested her chin on the cool marble, their eyes meeting in a clash of depressed brown and cold grey.

"I guess this is the last time that will ever happen," she murmured forlornly. Draco reached up and ran a hand through her wet hair, his eyes flitting down to her lips briefly before he met her eyes.

"Yes it will," he replied emotionlessly, verifying the truth that had been running silent through her mind. "Are you scared?"

Ginny stared at him before she rested the side of her face on the ledge and released a tense breath. Tears rolled down her face as she struggled to keep it all together.

"I'm scared of leaving everyone I love behind," she whispered. "I'm scared of losing…" There she drifted off, afraid that if she finished the statement, it would come true.

When he didn't reply, she looked up again shocked at how close his face was to hers. His dark grey eyes had no emotion as he stared at her.

"Death isn't something you should be afraid of, Weasley," he murmured. "Living is the hardest part."

"You would know wouldn't you," she muttered darkly and he smirked.

"Yes I would."

"Draco-"

_Crack!_

The sound of the house elves brought the two back to reality and Draco immediately left Ginny's side to go out to his bedroom where the elves were waiting. Ginny sighed and bit her lip, wishing desperately for more time. More time to remember what she would never see again… more time to tell him that she loved him… despite what was happening…

Tucking her chin back against her knees and neck, she closed her eyes and tried not to cry.

She was never going to see her family again.

"Weasley."

She jerked at the sound of Draco's bitter voice and turned to see him standing at the door, holding up a rather elegant dress robe.

"You need to get dressed," he told her, hanging the robe on a hook before placing underwear and a towel near the tub. He was about to leave when she reached out and took his hand, afraid that if he went out the door, he wouldn't come back. He watched her carefully for a moment before leaning in and kissing her forehead and leaning into her ear.

"I'll just be outside," he whispered. "You should hurry."

Ginny nodded and let him go.

* * *

Pansy's lips curled into a sneer when Draco appeared at the door of the dining room with Ginny at his side in one of the most beautiful dresses she had ever seen. Her hair had been done up into a bun, with flaming soft curls falling around her pale and somewhat cautious face. The wounds were gone, but several scars obstructed her beautiful freckled skin. The long black dress she was wearing had no back and a deep neckline that exposed more scars on her chest. There was a long slit down the side that exposed her pale skin and an intricate train trailing behind her.

But the thing that really made Pansy's blood boil was the hand Draco had on Ginny's bare back, almost as if to keep her from falling backwards. The simple, unassuming touch brought back the jealousy.

"Draco!"

The terrified voice came from none other than Rayne, whom neither Ginny nor Draco had seen since they had been brought to the mansion. She was also dressed elegantly, her bright red hair falling around her face as she gazed over at the two by the door.

Lucius just smiled and pointed to the two open spaces at the table.

"Come join us."

Draco gave Ginny a shove and she stumbled into the dining room and sat down heavily into her seat, shooting a nasty look over at Draco, who lowered himself gracefully into his seat. Someone tugged at her arm and she turned to Rayne, who was looking up at her with fear.

"Are you okay?" the little girl asked and Ginny nodded, offering a smile for the girl's sake.

"I'm fine. Have you been hurt?"

"Draco, does the Weasley know that it's not polite to speak without being spoken to?" Narcissa asked silkily, watching as the servers finally came in and set down their dishes. Ginny's mouth mashed shut in a thin line as she averted her eyes from Rayne, who also became silent. Draco smirked.

"Only if you're willing to acknowledge how much better she looks in that dress than you do," he replied and it was then that Ginny realized that the dress she was wearing matched the one that Narcissa was wearing. Narcissa's eyes narrowed dangerously but she didn't say a thing as she looked down at the food before. Pansy shot Ginny a rueful look before she began to eat as well. Lucius just looked like he was enjoying himself as he watched Ginny hesitate with the fork in her hand.

"Weasley, do you think that we would stoop so low as to _poison_ you after all of that hard work?" he asked curiously, watching with amusement as she dropped her spoon at the sound of his voice. Draco just rolled his eyes and began eating while Ginny timidly nibbled on her salad. Rayne was already finished.

There was a brief silence before Lucius decided to speak again.

"So Weasley, how are you enjoying your stay here at the manor?"

Ginny froze for a moment, growing noticeably paler before she replied.

"Customer service could be a little better," she muttered under her breath, but they all heard clearly what she had said. Draco smirked while Lucius actually laughed at the comment. Pansy glared and Narcissa ignored the comment all together.

"Well, you certainly haven't learned much," Lucius said through a chuckle. "Draco, was she always so stubborn?"

"I thought the answer was obvious after this morning," Pansy snapped, still peeved by Ginny's presence at the table. Draco's smile widened as he looked over at the young woman.

"I knew that memory would piss you off," he whispered. Pansy's eyes blazed with hatred.

"How could you _do_ those things to her? How could you even bare to _touch_ her?" she asked heatedly, her eyes souring with jealously.

"Because, unlike you Pansy, she's much better equipped to handle me," he said, knowing that his words would push her to her limits while causing his parents to reconsider their views on how much Draco was willing to say to incriminate himself. Tonight would be no fun if he spilled all right here and now.

"Better equipped? She couldn't even keep it together long enough for you to-"

"She knows her limits," Draco cut in quickly, his eyes flashing over to Rayne, who he had no interest in subjecting to Pansy's rather colorful language. "You, on the other hand, don't know when you've gone too far."

Pansy's eyes narrowed.

"I've gone far enough," she growled.

Draco rolled his eyes.

"It's always about sex with you, Parkinson."

Pansy raised an eyebrow, her eyes moving to Ginny, who had remained silent throughout the whole exchange.

"Was it Potter who forced you into Draco's arms?" she asked.

"Go to hell," Ginny suddenly hissed impulsively, unaware that she had spoken until Draco was staring at her through amused grey eyes. Her eyes suddenly went wide and she looked down at her food, glaring at it. Pansy flared up.

"You little bitch. I swear, I'm going to-"

"Now, Pansy, that's no way to treat guests," Narcissa whispered forcefully, silencing the angry vixen immediately. Narcissa then turned her attention to Ginny, who was still staring at her plate. "Tell me, Ginny-" The redhead blanched and the two other Malfoys each dropped their forks, everyone surprised that Narcissa would use Ginny's first name. Upon seeing the looks, she smiled. "Why do you think Draco never told you about what happened last Christmas?"

Ginny froze, the pain of that realization swarming her again and it took her a moment to realize she was starting to tremble. She shoved her hands under the table and clasped them together, taking a deep breath to calm herself down.

"Because he's an arse," she growled. There was a low hiss from across the table, but everyone ignored Pansy.

"_And_?"

Ginny looked up to meet Narcissa's amused gaze.

"I suppose the fact that we had a daughter together answers _that_ question," she replied, her gaze shifting over to an angry Parkinson.

"That doesn't answer anything," she growled.

"I think it answers _everything_," Ginny snapped.

"Draco doesn't care about you," Pansy hissed. "You're just one of his silly little pastimes and soon he's going to realize that and get rid of you."

Ginny was not about to let Pansy's words get to her.

"At least he treats me better," she whispered. "From the way you were looking at me when we came in, someone would think he'd never laid a hand on you _except _to hurt you."

Pansy crossed her arms over her chest.

"You don't know what you're talking about."

"Does she?" Draco asked suddenly, seizing this one moment to do something he had been dying to do for such a long time. He reached out and ran his hand down Ginny's cheek, causing her eyes to flutter shut under his cool touch. The room was silent except for Ginny's shallow breaths as Draco's fingers moved down her jaw to her neck, brushing across her pulsing veins. The moment he removed his hand from her face, her eyes opened and her cheeks flushed violently, a stark contrast to her otherwise sickly pale skin. Her eyes remained on the table, trying with what little strength she had left not to turn and kiss Draco right then and there. Lucius looked impressed while Narcissa just watched silently.

Pansy was positively fuming at the highly affectionate show.

Never once had Draco touched her like that.

Now he was just showing off.

Suddenly everything with in her exploded and the only thing she wanted more than anything was to kill the redheaded Weasley who had stolen everything away from her. Pansy stood up quickly, pulling out her wand, but Draco moved faster, the knife from the table now at Pansy's neck, his long arm stretching across the table.

"Do it, Parkinson," he growled viciously. "Give me _one_ reason to slit your throat and I will _gladly_ see your blood splatter all over this table."

The flames in Draco's eyes told everyone at the table that he would do it, whether or not Rayne was there. It was something he had always longed to do, but hadn't been able to accomplish because of his mother's unnatural interest and attachment to the manipulating young woman.

There was a moment in which no one said a thing, and then Pansy spoke.

"You would protect that bitch," she hissed venomously through clenched teeth.

Draco's grip on the blade tightened, piercing the epidermis slightly.

"You know, Pansy, the next time you decide to open your mouth, rethink the words you're about to say and _don't_ say them."

"You cocky bas-"

The twitch in Draco's hand silenced her temporarily. Pansy sunk into her seat, clutching her neck in horror as she stared at Draco who was seated as well, wiping his knife on a satin napkin.

"I have no problem using the fork next time," he said expressionlessly, placing the knife down. "But this time, it won't be your neck I hit."

Lucius smiled.

"There won't be any need for that, Draco," he said, leaning forward to examine Pansy's wound. "I don't think she'll be talking for the rest of the day."

_Good_, Ginny thought before she began to eat the pasta that had just been placed in front of her.

"Draco," Lucius whispered.

"What?"

Lucius met his son's cold look with a smile.

"Next time, save the whole, 'piss off Pansy' routine until after we have all finished eating. I would prefer not to hurl," he said, alluding to the showcase of physical contact between Draco and Ginny. Draco just smirked back and returned to his food.

Narcissa on the other hand, had found the whole display rather amusing and wanted to know more.

"What makes you think that you _have_ importance, _Weasley_?" she asked.

Draco looked up from his food.

"Because Ginny has an attractive sense of humor," he replied before he continued eating.

After that, no one said a word.

* * *

Draco took his time leading Ginny down to her cell, his eyes flitting over to her occasionally and noticing how pale she was getting as the walked further down the stony halls. Her frequent gasps from the cuts on her bare feet forced a brief and rather fiery hatred for his mother, who had forced Ginny to remove the shoes she had been wearing before returning to the dungeons. Rayne had cried, but after a very quick glance at Draco, Lucius had promised the sobbing nuisance that she would stay with Draco that night. Of course this was after Pansy had hit Rayne across the face. This earned Pansy a knife in her palm, courtesy of an irritated young Malfoy.

Now, he was just trying to buy time with Ginny, who was running her fingertips along the dark stone walls, her eyes focused intently on the floor ahead of her. Though he was well aware of how much time she had before Lucius brought her back out into the arena to expose more of their intimate relationship, he had no interest in rushing the process by leaving her in the dank cell by herself. He fiddled the note in his pocket as he thought of the guards who he knew were lusting after her during the night. He'd deal with them just for setting their undeserving, craving eyes on her weak and unprotected body.

Ginny noticed that his hands curled up into fists and knew he had to be thinking about one of two things.

Her guards or Pansy Parkinson.

Either way, she hoped they were suffering in his thoughts. Both had caused her enough pain.

Draco made sure to check his distance from her, knowing that if anyone saw him too close, they would have their definitive answer. If he was too far from her, then that would be a completely different story.

He could tell she was having a hard time not asking him the question that had popped up after he had spoken last. Even though he had no intention of answering it, if in fact she was brave enough to ask it, he wanted to hear the words from her lips just so that he could hear her voice.

"What is it Weasley?" he asked irritably, annoyed when she didn't speak. It wasn't until she stumbled a little, unaware that he had been watching her, that he realized how harsh his tone had been. She hesitated then looked down at her hands.

"Were you… were you really going to kill her?" she asked, surprising him with her question. He had expected something more along the line of what he had said earlier. She had actually been thinking about that asking that other question earlier, but judging by the way he had been clutching the knife all through lunch, she had no interest getting on his bad side any time soon. Not after what he'd done to her earlier.

"Yes," he replied callously, his tone sending shivers down her spine.

"Oh… okay."

She seemed to accept the answer without any expression. But then again, she had seen the way he had been acting towards Pansy all throughout the year and then after he had stabbed her that one time with the letter opener. His answer came with no surprise to her.

"Why?"

Ginny folded her arms over her chest, as if to protect herself from the vicious words that were about to escape her pale bitter lips. She looked up at him, something desperate rising within her… something primal that was growing with the impending doom of her ultimate destruction. If she was going to go down tomorrow… she wanted one last thing from Draco.

"Because I want you to kill her."

Draco looked down at her and smirked at the sincere hostility and sneering maliciousness in her trembling voice. The flames that burned in her eyes were something he had expected to see sooner… it was a look he had seen several times when he looked in the mirror…

"I'll do even better," he murmured. "I'll make her suffer."

Ginny shuddered at the chilling promise he made, but couldn't help but feel elated at the dark and malevolent thought of hearing Pansy grovel in front of Draco right before he plunged a jagged piece of glass into her throat, the vixen's final shriek resounding like sweet music to her ears.

She gasped at the unnatural and vindictive course her mind had taken. She took several deep breaths, trying to rid her mind from the consuming flames of revenge, but it quickly over took her and she stopped, leaning against the wall. Draco stopped along with her, watching her carefully, knowing what was running through her mind.

"It's a wonderful feeling isn't it," he whispered as she continued to try to control her emotions. "That primal urge to kill overtakes you and all you can think about is them dying…"

"Stop it," she whispered, glaring at him.

"You see them begging for your forgiveness… you hear them scream… and it's like sweet music."

"Please… stop," she gasped, the very feelings flooding her. She didn't like it. She didn't like what it was making her.

"It feels good doesn't it," Draco continued, ignoring her pleas for him to discontinue. He knew what he was doing… he knew why he was doing it… "Like power in your hands after they're dead… because you know they can't hurt you anymore."

"Draco," she moaned, closing her eyes to shut out the images of Pansy's dead body lying in front of her, a look of terror imprinted on her grotesque face. "Stop… I can't…"

This was what he was looking for. She was disgusted with herself for feeling the very same feelings that surged through him every time he saw his father, mother, Pansy, or any other person who had stabbed him in the back. She was disgusted with him…

"It's exhilarating. It's consuming and all you want is more-"

"STOP IT!"

She didn't even realize that he had moved until his lips were near her ear and his body had her trapped against the cold stone wall, his hands resting loosely on her hips. At first she tried to struggle against him, desperate to be rid of the overwhelmingly mixed feelings that his body forced upon her, but her body was fighting against her mind, missing the feeling of him against her.

"Slitting Pansy's throat… and feeling her blood run through my fingers, would not give me as much pleasure," he growled into her ear, trying dreadfully to ignore the gasps that escaped her lips. "As it would to finally _know_ you."

Ginny couldn't breathe as one of his hands made it under the beautiful dress she had been wearing, massaging her thigh in such a way that forced a lustful groan out of her. Her hands went up to his smooth, perfect face, trying to pull him close, but he stopped her just before their lips touched, his eyes burning into her soul.

It was then that she realized what she had done to him… how her existence was torturing him… how her love was killing him…

His lips moved all over her face, caressing her jaw, nose and forehead, but never touching her lips. He could hear her whispering his name under her breath and it took everything in his power not to kiss her. His body yearned for her. His skin screamed for the touch of her lips and his hands itched to feel her again… to drive her crazy and make her beg for more…

"You want to know why?"

"Why?" she gasped, her hands running down his face to his neck. The fact that his skin was burning under her touch, despite the fact that it was pale and the hall was freezing, gave her some comfort in knowing that he was struggling just as much as she was with the distance.

"Because… contrary to what everyone else may say, I've waited a long time for this," he whispered, feeling her hands tighten around his neck.

In that moment, a dangerous thought crossed Draco's mind.

He could leave this place… he could run away with her… just disappear like a ghost… like a coward…

But if they left, they would always be running. Lucius never forgot things and would stop at nothing until Ginny was dead and Draco was buried alive in _her_ grave.

Then there was Ginny. He had already stolen so much from her. Was he really so selfish as to take her away from the only family… friends she had ever known to run from country to country with a man who was so very willing to torture her to keep her alive? Was he so selfish to kill her just for a few months, maybe even years, of satisfaction and fear?

Draco quickly crushed that suicidal and spineless path, Ginny's warm breath on his neck bringing him back to the veracity of the situation.

They weren't going anywhere…

Even if tomorrow went exactly as planned, she would still suffer for a long time… maybe not from what he could help avoid tomorrow, but from him. He would always be her mistake… and she would be his.

_Damn… when had he become Potter?_

His lips landed on the corner of her mouth, torturing her with his lack of movement.

She wanted to feel him, if only for a moment… she wanted to drown in him as she had when they had first kissed… she wanted to feel the frustration and confusion that his body created within her… she wanted to know that, even though he would never admit it, she had broken down the solid walls he had built around himself, causing him to love– no _need_ her just as much as she needed him…

She wanted something other than the emptiness that was growing within her as the hours slowly passed by. She wanted to feel something other than pain… sadness… betrayal…

But he wasn't about to kill himself… not yet…

Ginny ran a hand down his face, her fingers moving slowly over his lips as she tried to memorize him…

"Tell me that you love me," she murmured as he leaned in to kiss her chin, eyes and nose. "Please…"

Draco moved his hands away from her legs up to her back, crushing her to him, his need for her almost devastating. She watched his eyes close for a moment before he rested his face in the crook of her neck, his lips brushing lightly against her aching skin.

"I can't."

Draco removed his hands from her and leaned away, stepping back and giving her a chance to compose herself. He looked away as she slowed her breathing and smoothed out her hair, knowing that if he continued to watch her stand there in that beautiful dress, he'd end up going back on all of the assurances he had made to himself and to her. When he heard her laugh bitterly, he looked over at her. She caught his harsh gaze and sobered up immediately, seeing the desperation in his eyes.

"If you can't love me… what else is there left?"

Draco stared at her for a moment before turning and walking down the hall. Ginny bit her lip and stumbled off behind him, wincing every once in a while from the cuts on her feet.

The guards raised their eyebrows when they saw him appear with her. He stopped just before them, turning to Ginny and looking her over.

"There is nothing left…"

She looked up at him, tragedy etched in her brown eyes.

"Nothing?"

He shook his head.

"I can't afford for there to be anything left."

She stared at him for a moment, trying to gauge his reaction to her net question.

"So… if I die… then you just go on living… like nothing ever happened?"

It didn't take long for Draco to answer.

"Yes."

Ginny fell silent, unable to counter his statement.

"It's such a shame," he whispered.

"What is?"

He looked over at the guards.

"That dress is going to be ruined tomorrow," he told her quietly. He saw her face contort with disgust and fear and he couldn't help but smirk. "What are you so afraid of? It's only your life that's hanging in the balance."

Ginny made a face, rubbing her arms to heat herself up. It was a movement that Draco wished he could have done for her… but he quickly swallowed that idea like acid.

Maybe if he _could_ find some acid…

"I suppose most people would be frightened by the prospect, but of course you would see my death as something to smile about," she muttered hurtfully, well aware of the ice that was starting to build up around her heart.

Draco raised an eyebrow.

"I find your death funny?" he asked incredulously. "No… I find your death depressing and inconceivable…" he whispered sincerely without looking at her. "That's not what I meant about your life."

Ginny stared at him for a moment, as if trying to figure him out.

"Then what did you mean?"

It was so brief that it seemed as if it hadn't happened at all, but she had definitely seen it. The pain that passed through his eyes had been so unadulterated that it hurt her just to see it.

Instead of answering though, he handed a piece of paper to the guards, who had approached out of caution. Without another word, he walked away in a manner that told her clearly that he was eager to be out of her presence, leaving her alone with two guards who gazed upon her with lust. However, after one of them read the note and whispered something to the other, they just grabbed her and put her back in her cell. The smell of bodily waste, blood and mold forced her to remember the wonderful smell of Draco's sterile room.

She made her way over to the darkest part of the cell where things were so disgusting that Ginny's throat burned and her eyes stung from the stench. Taking a brief gasp of air, she held her breath and began to sift through the muck, bile and other detrimental things were on the ground, closing her eyes when her fingers curled over something small and cool. Pulling it out, it took her a moment to notice that the small diamond horse was actually trying to shake off the grime and she quickly wiped the object against her dress, not caring what happened to it.

Careful not to place it in the light, Ginny held it in her hand, staring at it for what seemed like the longest time before she heard footsteps heading towards her cell. She hastily shoved the necklace back into the filth before she scrambled over to the other side of the cell where she could be easily seen from the door, standing and pressing her back against the wall as two other guards peered in attentively. Their eyes roved over her, stopping at her hands for a moment before they sighed.

"What a shame," one said sadly, his eyes moving down her legs lustfully. "Lucius always gets to have all the fun."

With that said, they left quickly.

Biting her lip, Ginny slid down a wall and tried not to cry.

Taking a deep breath, she tried to prepare herself for tomorrow… whether or not she was going to die it didn't matter… she'd never see the light again…

**A/N: Okay, I know I've said this twice before, but _this_ is definitely the longest chapter I've ever written. Ever! 25 pages! I've never written so much! So in light of such an awesome accomplishment (if i may say so myself), I will not be updating for about another week or more. I hope I haven't insulted anyone though with my little bitter tirade about people reviewing more than once. If I did then i'm sorry. **

**Enjoy.**

**luckycharm9:** Okay, last Christmas, Voldemort was at the Malfoy Manor. Future Draco and his family (Ginny and daughter) arrived in london and future Draco went to the manor to get rid of Voldemort. Unfortunately, future Draco's family was captured and after a while he was as well. Ginny and his daughter were tortured and then killed. Draco was forced to watch his future self be killed as an example of what he wasn't suposed to do. After that, regular Draco erased his memory in hopes that he wouldn't allow that to happen, but he ended up falling for Ginny anyway. The only reason he remembers the past now is because he placed a memory of that Christmas in a pensive before he erased it from his mind, just in case.

**nextbestthing:** Judas is Draco's bird. As for what Draco's doing to Ginny, well... that's a relationship that's gone screwy.

**MeggyandHaku:** I knew someone would bring up Rayne so I added her to the scene.

**jenny**: Yes it is rather twisted, but I thought it explained the whole weird connection a bit more. I know Pansy had an advantage, but I think I balanced that out with the lunch thing.

**mrsronweasley2113:** Well, I'm pretty sure he's been a bit disappointed with himself the moment he fell in love with Ginny, so this wasn't much a surprise.

**ronandmion4ever:** I think you gave me the idea for the lunch. You said tea, but I decided that lunch would be a little better. Tea sounded a bit to tense. As for you knowing about Ginny, that is the very reason I asked people not to predict, because I knew there would be one person who would make a guess so out there that it would be right. :-) Well, Draco didn't know _immediately_ about what would happen. He knew something bad would happen, but since he'd erased his memory, he didn't know exactly what. As for Rayne, she isn't their daughter. She's who Draco said in the letter. Their daughter hasn't been born yet.

**PhoenixTalons:** Yes, I hate Pansy also, so I decided to make this chapter a little about her.

**snowfire81**: I'm not sure she will forgive him, but I think she does understand his reasons.

**tamara72:** Rayne is not their daughter and read the answer to luckycharm9 for an explanation about Last Christmas.

**No Chapter Tease. This Chapter's long enough.**

**R/R! PLEASE! I really want to know what you thought about this chapter since it has _soooooo_ much in it. PLEASE!**


	27. Curl Up and Die

**WARNING: VERY DISTURBING CONTENT! SERIOUSLY! READ AT YOUR OWN DISCOMFORT!**

**(You guys knew this was coming)**

_Clinging to the remnants of perfection like most do after they break it  
Not knowing which directions the correct one do I discard or remake it  
Cause if I don't know than I don't know  
But I may know someone who knows me more than I  
And if I somehow could rest this soul  
Maybe control could find its way back to my life_

**-Curl Up and Die by Relient K**

* * *

_Draco walked down the cold stone corridor slowly, taking his time to gather his thoughts as he headed towards the cells. For the past two days, he had seen and heard things that before then he would have thought were ludicrous. _

_Now… he had to know why…_

_The guards came to attention when they saw him and one of them actually smirked at the irony of it all, but Draco ignored him. _

"_Let me in," he said coolly. _

"_I don't think so, Malfoy," one guard growled. _

_Draco took a deep breath. _

"_Let me in," he said in a deceptively calm voice. _

"_Why don't you beg?" the other guard suggested with a laugh. _

_He was on the ground before the other realized that he was pinned against the wall with a bloody blade to his neck. _

"_You have something to laugh about?" Draco growled and the man shook his head. _

"_No… go right ahead, Malfoy," he whimpered. Draco released him and went into the area where the cells were kept. He walked down the row and stopped at the last cell door. He couldn't help but laugh bitterly at the older version of himself. _

"_You look like shit," he said through the bars. _

_The man in the cell looked up from staring at the filthy ground and rolled his eyes. _

"_Look in a mirror," he snapped, wiping at the grimy tearstains on his bloody face. "You don't exactly look like you're enjoying the party."_

_Draco raised an eyebrow. _

"_I'd say that's not my problem, but you'd just say something about the future that would shut me up," he muttered. _

"_Then piss off," the Draco in the cell growled. "I've had enough of Lucius. I don't need to hear anything more from you."_

"_That's a whole lot of crap coming from you."_

"_Oh believe me, this has nothing to do with me _or_ you… well, not yet."_

_The present Draco watched his future self sniff and bury his face in his hands. _

"_You're not crying are you?"_

"_I said piss off," future Draco snarled. _

"_She's a silly little Gryffindor bitch. Why the hell would you _possibly_ marry her, let alone have a _child_ with her?" Draco sneered._

_Future Malfoy laughed at the question, which surprised Draco. Why was he laughing?_

"_You're gone eat those words sooner or later."_

"_I doubt it."_

_Malfoy laughed again. _

"_You're watched her for the past few years, and don't deny it because I was you once. She a mystery now, because she's protected by Potter and her brothers, but once she starts venturing out by herself, you'll see… she's the most interesting thing you'll ever meet," Malfoy whispered, his pained grey eyes misting over with his past… Draco's distant future…_

"_She'll annoy you because you know so little about her and that will force you to try to get to know her without her realizing what's going on… then you'll realize that you want to see her more and more because unlike all of the other girls we've been with, she's good company. She's witty, beautiful, curious and much too smart for her own good. One day you'll end up kissing her for reasons you don't know and you'll love it. You'll love the feeling of her and you'll love the feeling of being that close to her… and you'll want more. Suddenly, you're betraying yourself because you're telling her things that you wouldn't even admit to yourself and you're doing things to her that you've never done to any other girl," Malfoy said with a smirk. "She'll be annoying though because she won't sleep with you… but you'll wait… because you know that waiting will be even more satisfying in the end… and believe me it is… She's… empowering… submissive when it matters, but doesn't bend over at every command. She's… beyond words…"_

_When he drifted off into his own memories, Draco rolled his eyes, disgusted by what he was hearing. _

_Since when did Draco Malfoy ever talk about a woman with such passion?_

_Since when did Draco Malfoy ever _want_ Ginny Weasley?_

"_No wonder you got caught," he sneered at the man in the cell. "You lost it."_

"I_ lost it?" Malfoy asked with a laugh before shaking his head. "No… for the past few years I've been _happy_." Malfoy watched Draco roll his eyes and shrugged painfully. "But I wouldn't expect you to understand that yet."_

"_Yet? There isn't going to be a _yet_, Malfoy," Draco growled. "I am not going to make the same bloody mistake you did."_

"_She's not a mistake."_

"_Tell that to the man who was sobbing out there like a pansy an hour ago," Draco snarled and Malfoy laughed. _

"_That was you."_

_Draco shook his head. _

"_No, it wasn't because I'm not going to fall for a Weasley. I wouldn't even _touch_ a Weasley."_

"_Lucius had no problem touching her," Malfoy growled viciously._

"_And she sang like a bird-"_

_Malfoy lunged at Draco through the bars of the cage, a tormented look on his pale bloody face. _

"_YOU BASTARD! DON'T YOU TALK ABOUT HER!" he roared. "You miserable SHIT! Don't you talk about her!"_

_Draco, though he smiled, was shocked and scared on the inside. Was this what she would reduce him to if he allowed his interest in her to go that far? Would he become the enraged, tortured man in the cell, waiting for death to come and take him willingly? Would she be the end of him?_

"_You're pathetic," he sneered to cover up the fear that was starting to flow through his veins. "You've lost _everything_. She's dead and so is that thing you called a daughter. So why don't you just tell Lucius that you never cared about them and he'll spare you."_

_Malfoy glared at Draco through the bars with blazing eyes. If looks could have killed, Draco would have been shrieking in pain, bleeding from every possible orifice, drowning in his own blood while being dipped in acid and ripped apart by ravenous werewolves. _

"_You know, one day you're going to realize that you love her," he whispered in a trembling voice that betrayed the hatred and excruciating anguish that was suffocating him. "But when that day comes, it'll be too late… whether it be three months from now or ten years from now… you're going to realize that you love her… and then you'll never be able to live with yourself because you know that you're the reason she cries at night. You know that you're the reason that no matter how much she loves you, you can't love her the way you want to because you're the one who's afraid… one day you're going to realize that you can't live in this world anymore… then you're going to cry… and then you're going to die…"_

"_That's a load of bullshit," Draco snapped. _

"_Maybe it is, but it's going to happen… and when it does, I want you to die with this," Malfoy said, holding out a letter through the bars. "I want you to have this with you when you die."_

_Draco glanced at the letter and smirked. _

"_I'm not planning on dying. You are," he said before he moved to leave. _

"_Draco! Take it!" Malfoy yelled, glaring at the younger more ignorant version of himself. "You'll know when to use it."_

_Draco rolled his eyes and snatched the letter, glancing down at it for a moment. _

"_She's not worth this, Malfoy," he muttered. _

"_Yes she is."_

_Draco sighed and left. _

"_Merry Christmas."_

Draco straightened his robes as he brought himself back into reality. That memory had been something he had wanted to forget more than all of the rest when he had erased his memories last Christmas. He had wanted to forget the desperation he had seen in his own eyes peering out from the cell. He had wanted to forget the fear that had gripped him when he realized just how much of an effect Ginerva Weasley had had on him… or would have on him…

Closing his eyes, he tried to think of all of the points his future self had brought up that had come true…

_She'll annoy you because you know so little about her and that will force you to try to get to know her without her realizing what's going on…_

The train ride had been a very clear example of those words. He had sought her out and she had annoyed her because she was so hard to understand. He had allowed himself to become frustrated and that clash on the train had made her a much more prominent figure in his life than he cared to admit nor did he like to.

_Then you'll realize that you want to see her more and more because unlike all of the other girls we've been with, she's good company… love the feeling of her and you'll love the feeling of being that close to her… and you'll want more…_

Both of those had come in different orders, but he had ended up enjoying her, in body and in conversation, much more than he wanted to. She had been sharp and demanding, yet compliant when it came to the more physical part of what had become a very confusing and violent relationship.

_Suddenly, you're betraying yourself because you're telling her things that you wouldn't even admit to yourself and you're doing things to her that you've never done to any other girl…_

He had told her about Rayne, killed Crabbe in front of her and told her other things that he would have never told anyone, even the four he had come to call friends. He was also handling her in a way he had never handled any other girl. He kissed her like he loved her and caressed her because he wanted to know that she was real and not because he just wanted something to hold. He wanted to know that what he was feeling was real and that meant holding her and dealing with her in a way that showed himself that he was not imagining it. She had been real…

_She'll be annoying though because she won't sleep with you… but you'll wait… because you know that waiting will be even more satisfying in the end…_

That first night that had brought on this whole thing… he had stepped away instead of fulfilling everything he had ever wanted to do to her… he had abstained so that he would have one more chance to kiss her… one more chance to talk to her…

_One day you're going to realize that you love her…_

Draco let out a sigh and opened his eyes.

He already knew that he loved her…

He knew he loved her the moment he'd stopped kissing her because up until then, he had felt absolutely nothing…

After that, all he had felt was pain…

* * *

"_You're one night I don't mind waiting for…"  
_

"_And that night will come…" Ginny whispered, catching his eyes. Her cheeks flushed, but she felt and looked more certain than anything. "Someday it will…" A small smile actually appeared on her face as she said the next words. "Hopefully it'll be more than one night after that…"_

_When he just stared at her, Ginny couldn't help but lean in and kiss him, moving her lips against his with the intent to convey the promise she had just made to him. He moved closer to her and pushed her back so that he was partially on top of her, one of his hands still resting on her hip while the other went to the back of her head, supporting her as they both began to slip away from reality. Their lips moved against each other heatedly, their bodies burning and pushing together with a passion they both felt. Ginny pulled away, gasping for breath. Draco took that time to move away from her mouth down to her neck and collarbone. He then leaned in and kissed the skin between her breasts, causing her back to arch in ecstasy as he continued to kiss her tantalizingly. _

_Ginny couldn't take it any more. She needed to feel his lips again, the loss of him becoming almost unbearable. Draco moved further down her body and kissed her stomach, his tongue darting into her navel, causing her to whimper, her chest heaving as inaudible pleas escaped her lips. Finally, he answered her, his lips moving up until they were hovering over her lips, taunting her. His hands were resting firmly on either side of her hips making sure that she didn't move as he leaned in to recapture her lips in his…_

Ginny was jerked into consciousness by the screeching of the cell door. She scrambled to the back of the cell and pressed herself to the wall, eyes on the guard that entered, a smirk on his face.

"You're going to be broken today, Weasley," he growled, tossing a pan of foul smelling mush onto the floor near her. Some of the stuff splattered on her and she cringed as he laughed. "I'd love to be the first to have a go at you."

Ginny just waited until he was gone before she kicked out at the pan, sending it flying across the small cell. It clattered against the wall and fell, spilling its contents to the ground. She buried her face in her hands and tried not to cry as the memory tried to resurface again.

It seemed so long ago that it had happened… but it could have only been a few weeks…

A sob escaped her lips and she quickly stifled it by stuffing her fist into her mouth while tears fell down her face.

She was going to die today… she was going to die and she would never see her family again.

Her mother and father…

Fred and George…

Bill…

Charlie…

Percy…

Ron…

She could feel a sharp pain shoot through her fingers and she tasted blood as her teeth began to penetrate her fist from the terror.

Harry…

Oh Harry…

And then Hermione…

Hermione was probably already dead…

_Then I'll be seeing her soon_, Ginny thought weakly.

"_What are you so afraid of? It's only your life that's hanging in the balance."_

_Ginny made a face, rubbing her arms to heat herself up. _

"_I suppose most people would be frightened by the prospect, but of course you would see my death as something to smile about," she muttered hurtfully, well aware of the ice that was starting to build up around her heart. _

_Draco raised an eyebrow. _

"_I find your death funny?" he asked incredulously. "No… I find your death depressing and inconceivable…" he whispered sincerely without looking at her. "That's not what I meant about your life."_

_Ginny stared at him for a moment, as if trying to figure him out. _

"_Then what did you mean?"_

_It was so brief that it seemed as if it hadn't happened at all, but she had definitely seen it. The pain that passed through his eyes had been so unadulterated that it hurt her just to see it. _

She began rocking herself back and forth as she bit her fist to keep herself from sobbing loudly.

She wanted things to go back to normal.

She wanted to go back to pining after Harry instead of loving a man who was willing to torture her to save her…

She wanted to be surrounded by overprotective brothers…

She wanted to stop feeling anything…

"I'm going to die," she suddenly cried out. "Oh God I'm going to die…"

* * *

When Draco entered the arena, the first thing he noticed besides the silence was the considerable lack of women in the crowds. Though it was a much more serious observation, he could not help but smile at the hypocritical attitude of the women.

They were willing to have Ginny tortured by every means possible and were eager to let Lucius do it, but when it came down to this last day, they did not have the stomach to watch Ginny go through something no woman should go through.

"Hypocrites," he said casually, sitting down between Pansy, who shot him a nasty look.

"What are you talking about?"

"You."

"You're an arse."

"Do you want another knife in your neck, Parkinson?" he asked lightly. She rolled her eyes, but smartly said nothing. However, the smug grin on her face told him that she was going to enjoy today, even if it would be almost unbearable to watch. She had acid flowing through her veins. She would do it.

He glanced around the arena again and noticed that Valance and Blaise were missing while Rockwell and Goyle sat towards the back on the far left, faces cold and expressionless.

Narcissa, to no surprise, was missing as well.

_Dear old mum can't handle dad fondling another girl, no matter how much she knows it's torture_, Draco thought with grim satisfaction.

He immediately sobered up when he saw Ginny being led in. She was still wearing the dress from yesterday, which caused many of the men in the audience to howl in agreement. Despite the scars on her skin and her pale, weak appearance, they could all see without fail the physical attraction Draco had for the young woman. This acknowledgment only fueled the fire that was beginning to burn within Draco's chest. Right now he would control it… but he knew that one way or another, he would not be able to sit here much longer.

Ginny was forced to stand in the middle of the arena by herself, trembling from the cold and weakness, her eyes closing. For a moment Draco actually thought she was falling asleep, but then he saw her lips moving quickly and silently and he then realized that she was praying.

_Pray harder_, Draco thought bitterly.

Her eyes opened suddenly as if she had heard him and she met his gaze. For a moment she held his eyes then she looked around the arena as if seeing it for the first time. Draco had seen that look before… a year ago, she had had the exact same look on her face…

The doors opened and everyone stood except for Draco, who remained sitting straight n his seat as his father entered with a smirk on his face.

"Oh this is going to be fun!" he exclaimed excitedly as he strode gracefully to Ginny, who flinched at the last word. "Oh come now, Weasley, you can't be that afraid," he whispered, turning her to face Draco fully. "After all, if you can't be loved, what else is there left?"

Ginny's eyes bulged and a shocked gasp escaped her dry lips as she heard her own words penetrate her like acid. Lucius smiled at her reaction.

"Don't worry, Weasley, we'll treat you _so_ much better than Draco ever could," he growled into her ear suggestively as his hands moved down to her hips and pull her back toward him. She closed her eyes, trying to block out what was happening, but it didn't help. She could feel him against her and it took everything in her power not to cry as his lips moved across her neck. His eyes met Draco's and he grinned at his son.

"Let's finish what you couldn't, Draco," he suggested.

Draco did not move, but Ginny did. She let out a startled and panic stricken yelp when Malfoy's hand grabbed her breast and she tore away from him, stumbling across the floor and tripping over her own feet. The arena burst into laughter as she got herself up on her knees, taking deep breaths to calm herself down.

A Slytherin boy jumped into the arena and grabbed her hips with both hands and yanked her rear right into his hips, thrusting them forward and causing Ginny to cry out as she twisted out of his grasp and landed on her back, pushing herself away from him.

The look she saw in the boy's eyes terrified her as he moved towards her. In the corner of her eye she saw four more men enter the arena, lustful eyes and hands coming for her.

"Stay away from me," she growled as she continued to move backward. She backed right into a pair of strong legs and looked up in time to see a large man grin at her.

"Hello there," he greeted.

Ginny screamed as he reached down and grabbed her hands, pinning her down. The others lunged for her and she quickly pulled her feet up over her head, kicking the large man in the face. He let out a cry of pain and fell away from her. Ginny scrambled towards the only place she could think of, the podium. She heard people laughing as she was yanked back by her hair and flung into the large pack of men waiting for her.

"NO!"

They pulled at her dress violently and she could feel it tear and rip against her burning skin as she bit and clawed desperately at the men who tugged at her. She could feel hands moving greedily up and down her body, trying to remove the dress as quickly as possible. She could feel their teeth cutting into her skin and their lips moving across her neck with a viciousness that was overwhelmingly painful. It was suffocating her as the bodies pressed and shoved themselves against her, crushing her and making her cry harder as she willed herself to die.

She wanted Draco. She wanted his cool touch and tantalizing lips against her instead of the destruction that was moving across her body with breathtaking speed. She wanted to feel the ecstasy pumping through her veins instead of the pure unadulterated fear that coursed through her heart like poison.

She wanted to die.

Draco sat there, watching as they bit, hit and humiliated her, making her scream and sob as their hands moved to places they should never have gone. The fire in his chest was destroying him… constricting him with the torturing images of her. He wanted to kill them all. He could feel the overpowering urge to make them suffer coursing through his veins and all he could see was their blood falling at his feet, warm and satisfying to his touch.

Beside him he could see Pansy smiling wildly as Ginny's torment increased.

Oh God he wanted to kill her…

He tried to ignore the screams…

He tried to ignore the pleas…

He tried to ignore the fact that he was not doing anything to stop those screams… those pleas…

The only thing keeping Draco from completely losing his mind was the memories of how he had been with her… how he had caressed her... explored every inch of her that he possibly could… his fingers moving over every curve and every dip with curiosity and amazement… he thought of her lips and how they had felt against his skin…

_Stop it, Draco! Damn it, you can't do this now. You can't realize what you want now!_

"ENOUGH!" Lucius roared, bringing Draco away from his desperate thoughts. His eyes became focused again and he saw the gang break apart, revealing a sobbing, bleeding, naked Ginny Weasley, standing in the middle of the arena with her arms wrapped around herself as she quaked violently on weak, pale legs.

If it had not been for the sobs, blood and onlookers, Draco would have said that she was beautiful… no… an epiphany… a goddess… he would have loved her…

But now… he felt the hole where his heart should have been rip itself to shreds and the fire only consume him with more agonizing pain…

She was destroyed… humiliated… broken…

And he had not done a thing…

His eyes flashed over to where Goyle and Rockwell stood. Valance was now with them and gave a quick two nods.

Could he last that long?

Many were whistling and howling with lust at the sight of Ginny's body and some started towards her, but they were stopped by Lucius, who held up a hand to them. He then began to circle her, his eyes roving selfishly over her.

"Draco," he said as he walked. "Tell me what you think about her."

Ginny let out a sob and everyone except Draco and Lucius laughed. Pansy was shrieking with hysterical laughter beside him.

"Come on, Draco, don't be shy. This is the first time anyone's seen _her_. I want to know what you think."

"Don't test me, Lucius," Draco said calmly, causing several more to laugh.

"No, we would not want that would we," Lucius chuckled, stepping up behind Ginny and running his hands down her sides and over her stomach, pulling her flush against him. Tears were streaming down her eyes as she tried to pull away, but she was too weak to do anything. Draco could tell that she wanted to die and some part of him wanted to die as well.

Lucius rested his chin on Ginny's shoulder as one hand moved up to grab her breast possessively while his other hand moved down past her navel.

"NO!" Ginny shrieked, crying out in unimaginable pain as his fingers penetrated her. Her arms grabbed his arms to shove them away, but that only increased his vice like grip on her, causing her to sob harder as her nails dug into his skin. She could no longer feel her legs as pain gathered in her stomach and shot up her spine with knife-like agony. Her head leaned back and her eyes closed, her breathing becoming shorter as her lungs began to close up on her. She tried to lift herself up from him, but his hand only moved further into her and his own nails dug into her breasts, making her bleed even more.

For the first time since this entire thing started Draco moved, his eyes darkening with rage. Everyone saw his hands curl up into fists and they knew this was it.

"He's just pissed because Lucius is doing what he couldn't," Pansy voiced, turning to look at Draco. "Lucius is more of a man that you are."

Draco didn't bother looking at her. His eyes were fixed on his father, who was staring right back at him.

"Come on, Draco," Lucius growled, jerking her around a little and making her scream even more. "Why don't you finish what you started?" he asked, lifting her up so that her toes barely brushed against the floor. She began to try to climb up his chest backwards, but he sank his teeth into her neck, pulling her down with his mouth and hands.

"Please! STOP IT!" she screeched. "STOP IT!"

"Not until Draco finishes what he started," Lucius snarled, suddenly hurling her down to the ground in a crumpled sobbing bleeding mess. "Come on, Draco," he jeered. "Why don't you finish this?"

Draco's eyes only filled with more hatred… more disgust… more murderous desire…

"FINISH IT DRACO!" Lucius bellowed.

Ginny screamed when his foot connected with her side and she went tumbling towards the podium. Her head connected with the corner of the stairs and she wailed in excruciating agony. She curled up at the base of the podium, wanting to die… she wanted nothing more than to just die…

Draco didn't move, his eyes on Ginny…

"No one touches her again."

His words washed over Ginny like a scalding wave. She fell into complete and utter silence just like most of the people in the arena, genuinely shocked by Draco's calm statement. For the longest time no one moved, but then Lucius grinned, striding over to the podium.

"Well, then," he said, grabbing Ginny by her hair and began to drag her back. "We'll let someone else finish it!"

"NO! DRACO!" Ginny screamed, flailing around wildly as she tried to get away. "NO!"

Lucius let go of her and continued walking to the edge of the arena. He then pointed at Ginny, who was trying desperately to get to Draco's chair.

"Finish it," he said simply.

Ten men dove for her.

Ginny screamed and wrapped herself in a ball instantly, covering her head with her hands.

She sobbed when she felt one of them fall on her and she continued to cry even when nothing happened….

_What?_

She heard nine more bodies hit the floor before she quickly opened her eyes to find herself staring into the tortured bleeding eyes of a Death Eater.

She let out a gasp of horror and tried to move away, but the body on top of her held her down tightly with the dead weight. She felt the sticky warm drops of blood beginning to pour down on her from the body and she started crying again.

The body was suddenly removed and someone hauled her up to her feet. She felt something warm wrap around her and she looked up through terrified eyes to see Draco standing there, blazing grey eyes on something behind her. He had her pressed to him, one arm tight around her waist while the other held his wand at his side. His robes were wrapped around her.

She knew she was trembling and she knew she was sobbing uncontrollably, but she didn't care anymore… he had finally stopped this…

"Anyone else?"

**A/N: Wow... that was intense... I did not expect it to get so intense, but seriously... wow... I... I don't know what else to say... this was soooooo wrong.**

**jenny:** Um... well... I hope you... I don't want to say enjoy... but appreciate this... I hate Pansy also. Of course Draco has to do things the Malfoy way. As for nerves getting to Draco, I think somethings getting to him, but it isn't nerves.

**ronandmion4ever:** I wanted to show one moment of regret/pain/love between Draco and Ginny before everything went to hell. I thought something heartbreaking before something _extremely_ heartbreaking would make things harder.

**PhoenixTalons:** Yes she does. That was probably the best part of writing that chapter.

**luckycharm9:** He does, but I think his actions also tell her that he loves her as well.

**snowfire81:** I explained what happened in the beginning of my last review answers. If you don't understand then I'll repeat it again. Future Draco came back with his wife (future Ginny) and daughter to kill Voldemort. They were captured and tortured in front of the present Draco, who was to learn from his future mistakes. Ginny and his daughter were tortured in the same way Ginny's being tortured now before they were killed in front of both Dracos. The future Draco was then killed a little later. Hope that helps.

**purplegabby123:** It is a bit depressing, but its necessary.

**nextbestthing:** You are so right that Draco has gained a lot of respect from her and that he should be able to tell her that he loves her, but it's not that easy because of what's going on.

**tamara72:** Don't worry about Blaise. Worry about Draco and Ginny! :-)

**mellicent:** I hate Draco's indifference also, but I'm not so sure that things will end as good as we hope they will.

**mrsronweasley2113:** I'm not going to disappear! I would never do something like that!

**There are no chapter teases. **

**Please tell me what you think! **

**REVIEW!**


	28. The Runaway

**A/N: Prepare for more uncomfortable/disturbing situations! Not as bad as last chapter though. Just disturbing.**

_The great art of life is sensation, to feel that we exist, even in pain._ **-****Lord Byron**

* * *

"Well?" Draco asked in voice that was barely controlled, his eyes fixed exclusively on his father. "Anyone else want to try to _finish_ it?"

Eyes fell on the ten men on the ground. They weren't moving or screaming… but they weren't dead either… The shrieking torture that filled their wide horrified bleeding eyes, mirroring the unbelievably excruciating pain that was surging through their bodies like fire and broken glass, shredding their innards, constricting their lungs and pumping acid through their brains as every orifice bled blood, sweat and bile.

Ginny had seen the torture and had buried her face in Draco's chest, clinging to him frantically. She did not want to see what he was capable of when he was enraged. She had already been through enough.

"Anyone else?!" Draco roared, his voice betraying the hate that had now replaced the blood in his veins. He felt Ginny's grip on his shirt tighten and he knew that if he did not get her out of here quickly, she would end up dying anyway. She jerked in his arm when Lucius began to laugh, his malicious voice resonating off of the stone walls.

"Draco, Draco, Draco," Lucius said shaking his head in disappointment. "Oh Draco… I was hoping it wouldn't come to this. I was actually hoping you'd just screw the whore and get it out of your system."

Ginny felt his arm around her waist tighten around her as she continued to shake horribly from the pain and violation that still tormented her body. Everything hurt, yet she felt completely numb against his warm body.

"I don't think that's ever going to happen," Draco growled and Ginny suddenly became still. She raised her head again to look up at him, but he still refused to meet her gaze.

"Well then, once I'm finished dealing with your carcass, I'll make sure that it _does_ happen," Lucius promised coldly, causing Ginny to start quivering again.

"You're not touching her again, Lucius," Draco said in a deceptively calm voice, but Ginny could feel his heart racing beneath her touch.

It was then that Ginny realized the deadly situation they were in.

Draco was scared… he was never scared…

She pulled herself as close to him as possible, not wanting to lose him… she couldn't lose him…

"I think you're sorely mistaken this time, Draco."

Ginny felt him flinch at the sound of his mother and that only fueled the terror that was starting to flow through her. Draco held his composure better than they expected though.

"Mother… I must say, you planned this all very well," Draco commented.

"Only the best," Narcissa replied, appearing at her husband's side, her wand at the ready. "You were always one for ceremony."

As this was said, Ginny felt something digging into her side from Draco's pocket. She slid her hand down his chest to his pants and felt around until she found his pocket. She bit her lip when she cut her finger, but continued to pull out the deadly blade, carefully storing it inside of the robes Draco had wrapped around her. When she looked up, Draco had a smirk on his face.

"Well, Draco. Any last words?"

"Yeah. Bite me."

It was almost as if it had been planned on cue.

The timing was perfect.

The words were perfect.

Everything was perfect.

The ground and walls shook violently from the massive explosion that blew open the large oak doors and even a bit of the arena stands. Many screamed and scrambled out of the way of the blast while others flew back from the shockwaves.

Ginny was yanked to the ground and she felt Draco on top of her, protecting her from the debris that flew everywhere.

She felt him grunt when something hit him, but he did not move until the explosions stopped.

Suddenly there were more screams as curses started flying everywhere. Ginny thought she heard familiar voices, but that was all disregarded when Draco stood up and pulled her up to him, dragging her over to the far wall.

It was then that Ginny really saw what had happened.

It was like a weird dream.

Not only had her family appeared out of nowhere, but the Order and almost the entire Gryffindor House were flooding through the hole in the stone walls where the oak doors had been. The Ministry officials and the Slytherins who were still standing were firing deadly curses at her saviors, who looked extremely pissed.

Draco however, had no intention of going towards them. He stood by one of the stands and tapped on the brick with his wand. For a moment nothing happened but then a tunnel appeared. He then grabbed Ginny and turned her to face him.

"Pay attention," he growled viciously. "Go down that tunnel and don't look back! When you reach the end, you'll find a small hole in the wall. It'll lead up to the surface. Get there and then head for the woods. Blaise will be there waiting for you!"

The tears began to flow again when Ginny saw the desperation in his cold grey eyes. She shook her head, flinching at the explosions.

"No… no! I'm not leaving!" she yelled, wrapping her arms around his waist and sobbing into his chest. "Come with me! Please come with me!"

He pulled away from her and shook his head, pushing her into the tunnel.

"Damn it, Ginny, go!"

"Dra-"

His lips cut her off in a quick and heated kiss. His hands were like a vice on her arms as he held her close for the last time, savoring the way she tasted, even with the salty tears. Ginny sobbed harder as he pulled away from her and shoved her violently into the tunnel. She stumbled and fell to the ground, hitting her head against the stone. She turned around to see him tapping the stone, rage in his eyes.

"No!"

But it was too late.

The stone had closed around the opening and she was once again separated from him. She pounded her fists on the stone, but after a moment she slid back down to the ground, clutching her head and sobbing.

"NO!"

* * *

Draco made his way across the arena, stepping over bleeding corpses and shrieking men, killing everyone and anyone who got in his way as he all but charged back to where he'd seen his father disappear. He hardly realized who'd grabbed him until he had a knife to the guy's neck.

"It's me, Malfoy!" Ron shouted, pointing his own wand at the vengeful young man. For a moment it didn't seem to register, but then the knife was gone and Ron could breathe.

"Where's Ginny?" he demanded heatedly, ducking when a jet of red light flashed by. "Where is she?!"

"Get out of my way, Weasley," Draco growled, shoving Ron aside.

"TELL ME WHERE SHE IS!"

"She's gone! Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go kill my father," Draco snarled ferociously. Ron let him go, too shocked to stop him. Never in the years that Ron that had the misfortune of knowing Draco had he ever seen such pain… such malicious desire…

Draco swept out of the destruction and down the tunnel, where several more Gryffindors were coming from. They hesitated when they saw him, but made no move to hinder his advancement of the basement door. Blaise must have informed them of _all_ of the circumstances.

When he reached the basement door, he ran up the stairs and into the foyer, which was surprisingly empty.

"WHERE ARE YOU?!" Draco roared, wrath scorching in his stormy silver eyes. "SHOW YOURSELF!"

"Now Draco, is that any way to talk to your mother?"

Draco whirled around, glaring at his mother, who was standing at the top of the stairs on the second level, a smirk on her face.

"I see you're still upset about what happened," she observed mockingly as she glided down the stairs with the grace of royalty.

_The bitch,_ Draco hissed in his mind, tensing at the thought of his father's disappearance. He was the one Draco wanted to suffer… his mother was just a hindrance to that goal.

"I'm beyond upset, Narcissa," he growled. "You should know that."

There would be no more jokes. No more sarcastic remarks.

Just him and two dead parents…

Narcissa seemed to realize that when she reached the bottom of the stairs and for the first time saw the look on Draco's face.

Sure, she had seen him angry.

There had been countless times when Draco's foul mood had ended in someone's death.

But she had never seen pure, unhinged rage blistering in the infernos that were his eyes. She had never seen such deep, uncontrollable loathing that literally shook his entire being as it pumped through him like burning acid. He seemed to be breathing it in like air, his only reason for living the death of her and her husband. His hatred was like a lifeline…

Destruction was in his eyes…

Death was in his hand…

* * *

Ron and Harry pulled back with Remus and Arthur to where Dumbledore stood near the podium.

"We can't find her, Dumbledore. We can't find her," Arthur cried, tears streaming down his grief stricken face.

"Malfoy said she was gone," Ron murmured, flinching at another explosion. "He said she was gone…"

Harry shook his head.

"He can't be right. Ginny can't just be gone!"

"Where is Malfoy?" Remus demanded.

Ron pointed towards the large opening they had created.

"He ran up there to the foyer. Said something about needing to kill his father," he said quickly, trying to comfort his father, who was slowly breaking down before his eyes. "Dad, we'll find her. Please…"

Dumbledore pulled Harry and Remus aside.

"We need to secure the area. This arena is too big for only that many people. Many must have fled and we need to get to them before they reach the surface," he told them.

Remus frowned.

"We have men at the surface. Moody's with them."

Dumbledore shook his head.

"We didn't expect this many, Remus. There must have been at least three hundred. Alastor only expects to pick up stragglers. Harry, you and Ron need to go up and warn him while we search the tunnels."

"What about Ginny?"

"We'll find her. Don't worry."

* * *

Ginny was in pain.

Excruciating, blinding pain…

Not that she had much light to see with in the first place…

She staggered through the dark tunnel, tripping constantly over large jagged rocks that cut her legs and hands as she fell. Her sobs echoed off the stone walls around her as they began to narrow, reminding her of a far away dream…

"Come out, come out, where ever you are?"

Ginny screamed and turned in time to see the faint shadow of a man dart closer to her.

"NO!" she shouted, scrambling across the rocks and running as fast as she could towards nowhere. Her arms were out in front of her blindly, jamming fingers as she smashed into walls and crashed into rocks as she desperately tried to make her way to the hole Draco had been talking about.

"I'm going to get you!" the man behind her snarled as he started running as well, his heavy boots giving Ginny a basic idea of where he was.

Finally!

It was like a mole had dug the tunnel. It was small, muddy from the snow and sleet that dripped down the long tunnel. She glanced back before she squeezed into it, her whole body compressed by the surrounding earth. She began to crawl through, mud falling into her eyes as she pushed herself forward and upward with her burning legs. Ginny was gasping for air and sobbing at the same time, her mind bombarding her with images of Draco's dead body as she traveled further away from him.

She looked up and she could see the snow falling through the opening at the surface and she knew she only had a couple more meters to go.

"I got you!"

"NO!"

She tried kicking out, but the space was too small for that. It was a wonder the man behind her had managed to slither through. He was tugging fiercely at her leg and she looked back to see his muddy face glaring at her.

"NO! LET GO!" she screamed, reaching out and trying to pull herself up towards the gap. "HELP! PLEASE SOMEBODY HELP ME!"

"You're not going anywhere!" the man snarled, pulling her weaker body back towards him. She could feel her nails being pulled apart as she dug them into the dirt walls around her, shrieking for help.

"HELP ME!"

Suddenly the moonlight that had come in from the gap was obscured by a figure from the outside.

"HELP ME! PLEASE HELP ME!" Ginny screamed hysterically.

The person outside suddenly came flying through the hole, sliding through the mud and reaching out to take her grasping hands. She saw a wand but did not hear the words. She did hear the man behind her scream in agonizing pain as he fell back down the tunnel and out of sight while she was being pulled up out of the hole.

"You know, Weasley, the next time you decide to get lost in Malfoy's dreams, just do us all a favor and kill yourself," Blaise growled, picking her up in his arms and carrying her towards the woods. Behind them were the front of the Malfoy manor and the distant sounds of explosions. Despite the terror she had just been through, Ginny could not help but snort at the comment as she trembled horribly in his arms.

"I'll remember to tell that to Draco the next time I see him," she muttered through chattering teeth. It was freezing outside and the only thing between herself and the driving winds and snow were the thin robes Draco had placed over her naked body. They were soaked with blood and mud, which did not help her predicament at all.

Blaise laughed at the comment and rubbed her arms a little to heat her up as he trudged through the snow.

"For a girl who just went through hell, you're quite the sarcastic bitch," he remarked with a smirk. He felt her arms wrap around his neck and her head rest against his chest as she continued to quake.

"For a boy who's spent most of his life terrorizing people, you're quite the helpful bastard," she snapped.

His voice seemed loud as they continued to walk further and further away from the manor. The woods around them were quiet yet glowing with the eerie reflection of the moonlight off the snow. Ginny was sure Blaise could hear her heart beating wildly, but she decided not to focus on that.

"Where are we going?"

"Portkey."

"This far?"

It was Blaise's turn to snort.

"Draco's house has almost the same set of security features as Hogwarts," he explained curtly. "If a portkey isn't wanted then you have to get out of the reach of the charms before we can get out."

"Oh."

It fell silent again as he continued to carry her away. For a moment Ginny contemplated passing out but it was then that she realized something.

"Blaise… I can't feel my legs… or my arms."

"Did you break anything?"

"I don't know."

He sighed.

"Then don't move… once we get to my flat, I'll take you to– ARGH!"

There was a flash of blue light and both of them went tumbling into the snow, Blaise screaming in pain from the searing gash on his back.

"Blaise!" Ginny cried, scrambling through the snow to get to him. The ground in front of her exploded and she went flying into a tree, screaming in agony. When she looked up she could see Lucius Malfoy striding towards them, a devilish glee burning in his wicked silver eyes.

Terror paralyzed Ginny as the memories of what happened what seemed like moments ago flooded her with pain. Her whole body went numb at the sight of him and a single sob escaped her lips before she fell silent under his lustful gaze. Blaise's screams seemed distant as Malfoy approached her slowly with his wand drawn. She could see what he wanted in his eyes and she wanted to die right then and there… but she didn't…

Malfoy stopped just in front of her and reached down, taking her throat in his vice like grasp, pulling her up so that her feet barely touched the ground as he pinned her to the tree, cutting off her oxygen. She reached into her pocket and grabbed the dagger, but before she could do anything, his other hand shot out and grabbed her hand, squeezing it until she dropped it.

"That's not very nice," he growled before leaning into her ear, his cold breath like acid on her skin. "I'm going to enjoy destroying him."

"I'm sure he'd say the same about you," she hissed, tears streaming down her face as his hand moved in between her robes.

Lucius smirked, his grip tightening.

"But first I'm going to destroy you."

* * *

"Draco, be reasonable! Draco! DRA-"

Narcissa's screams were cut off swiftly when her neck snapped with a bloodcurdling crunch. Draco let her body slump to the floor, wiping his bloody hands disgustedly on his shirt.

"You weren't reasonable, Narcissa," he murmured coldly, rolling her body over so that she stared up at him through lifeless eyes. He placed both feet on either side of her and squatted down so that he was sitting on her chest, looking down at her with inhuman callous grey orbs. "You should know very well that I don't do reasonable."

"Malfoy! Malfoy!"

Draco looked up from his mother to see Ron and Harry running into the foyer. They stopped suddenly when they caught sight of Narcissa's carcass bleeding on the floor.

"Oh… wow…" Ron muttered, watching as Draco stood up, flicking his wand. The body went sliding across the foyer floor while Draco approached them, eyes darkening.

"What?" he growled.

Harry and Ron hesitated, unsure of whether or not to talk to him when he was in such a volatile state.

"Where's Ginny?" Ron finally demanded, standing up to the same height as Draco.

Draco's eyes filled with rage and without a word he flew out the front door. Ron and Harry watched him go and for a moment Ron actually wanted to go with him, but Harry grabbed him by the arm, eyes on Draco's dead mother.

"I don't think so. Where ever he's going, I have a feeling Lucius Malfoy's going to be there. We need to go get Moody," he said quickly before heading out the front door. Ron ran after him.

* * *

Draco charged through the snow, his heart pounding madly and his lungs pressing against his chest as he strained himself to reach the portkey point. He needed to get to her. He needed to make sure she was okay…

"STOP! PLEASE STOP!"

Draco froze for a moment, terror consuming him for one blinding moment when Ginny's tortured cries reached his ears, echoing around him.

"PLEASE!"

He took off again, his legs screaming in pain as he pushed himself until he finally reached the small clearing.

What he saw nearly killed him right then and there.

At the edge of the clearing two figures seemed to be wrestling in the freezing cold. One of them was winning while the other cried and screamed, her exposed body numb to the cold but blazing with unimaginable torture.

"STOP!" Ginny sobbed. It was like fire and glass was flowing through her body like poison. She wanted it to stop. She wanted to die!

"LUCIUS!"

Finally it stopped and she was left to lie there in the snow, bleeding, sobbing and naked. Lucius stood over her, a knowing smirk on his face.

"Oh Draco, you've been missing out! She sang like a _bird_," he said maliciously, stepping over her to where Blaise still was; now writhing silently on the ground. "I must say, Draco, you picked quite a feisty one."

Ginny's eyes traveled across the clearing to Draco, whose eyes were on her. She saw the pain… she saw the terror… and she also saw the rage… the pure… deranged hatred…

"Draco…" she cried hoarsely, reaching out her hand painfully as if hoping he would take it and hold it. "Help me…"

Then her eyes closed and her breathing stopped…

**A/N: ...**

**Skepo:** Thank you.

**purplegabby123:** Yeah, he could have, but then it would have been a _very_ different ending.

**luckycharm9:** I'm not saying a word.

**nextbestthing:** Read Blood and Chocolate and Haunted. Those are probably the only other ones I can think of that are disturbing, but Haunted in a different way. As for Draco not stepping in sooner, I think the _way_ in which things were being handled with Ginny prevented him from being completely provoke him. I think it's obvious that Draco has a long fuse to a very massive nuclear bomb. He needed the right (or wrong depending on how you look at it) thing to make him explode. He found it. Ginny's virginity.

**younggem:** Lucius is the only person Draco has _ever_ wanted to kill more than anything. So he's the person that pushes Draco past a point even Draco is capable of understanding.

**snowfire81:** The next chapter should be even better, but I haven't written it yet... just like this one...

**tamara72:** Draco's plan is get Ginny out and kill everyone else.

**PhoenixTalons:** The next chapter will be very interesting.

**mrsronweasley2113:** Daughter's not born and I don't know what's going on with Ron and HErmione. I have to think about it. As for the Death Eaters, he just caused them to go through unimaginable pain. Sort of a slow death thing.

**jenny:** I like that word. Diligent. Very proper and straightforward.

**brokenstitches:** That's how I write. I imagine it were a movie or a show or something and then I write it how I see it.

**MeggyandHaku:** Hopefully so was this one.

**Sorry, like I said, I haven't written any chapters past this one so I don't have any chap teases. Be patient and review! I'll update ASAP!**


	29. Which to Bury, Us or the Hatchet?

_Make your decision and don't you dare think twice  
Go with your instincts along with some bad advice  
This didn't turn out the way I thought it would at all  
You blame me but some of this is still your fault…_

**Which to Bury, Us or the Hatchet? by Relient K**

* * *

When Ginny finally came back into consciousness, every part of her body was deadened. She could hardly feel her heart pounding within her chest, but she could see her breath rising above her. For a moment, she thought she might have been at Mungos because of all the white but when she looked up, she saw the dark night above her.

She was outside…

How long had she been in the snow?

_Not long Ginny… you would be dead if you had been out here longer…_

Then what happened?

How did she get out here? And why was she naked?

She turned her head to the side and saw one body laying in the snow… the snow was red…

_What?_

She tried to move, but found that she could not… she was paralyzed…

_No Ginny. You're just cold… frozen…_

Why was she out here?

Why was she in the snow?

Why was the snow around her red?

What had happened?

Panic was starting to flow through her as she tried to move again. It hurt to breathe, but she found herself breathing faster as she continued to question what was going on. Things were too quiet and the body near by was not moving at all.

"Someone please…"

Her voice was hoarse and way too weak, her throat burning with every word. It was hard to think with the fact but she tried again, terrified of the thought of dying out in the woods by herself.

"Please… someone help…"

She couldn't tell if she was crying or not, but she knew she was hyperventilating when she caught sight of a figure moving in the woods beyond the prone body near by.

"Please," she gasped a little harder. "Help."

The person must have heard her because he changed direction and began to run towards her.

"I found her! Oh my God, Ginny! RON! BRING THE PORTKEY!!"

_Ron…_

Ginny's cry of pain ripped through the quiet forest like a siren as everything that had happened to her in the past three days crashed upon her like a colossal wave. Harry fell down to his knees before her, face pale with fear. He quickly removed his coat and sweater, wrapping them tightly around her before he pulled her to him. He held her face in his hands.

"Ginny, stay with me," he cried. "RON! SHE'S DYING!"

Ginny's eyes were beginning to close but Harry shook her again, tears streaming down his face.

"Come on, Ginny, you need to stay with me! Come on, Ginny! Ginny!"

"Harry!"

"Over here! Hurry up! She won't last much longer! There's blood everywhere!"

That explained the red snow…

Ron came into Ginny's darkening vision and the last thing she remembered was a sharp painful tug at her navel.

* * *

"I'm sorry, but we are not obliged to give any information about what happened four nights ago nor are we capable of telling you what happened over the past three days before that because Ms. Weasley has not woken up yet," Moody growled to the reporters during a press conference.

"Why can't you tell us where all those people went? The Ministry has lost seventy-nine employees and Hogwarts has expelled almost all of its Slytherin students, as well as a few other students from different Houses. Are they at Azkaban?"

At this question, Moody actually paled.

How do you explain what had happened over the past four days?

You don't.

Moody shook his head.

"Sorry, no more questions."

With that, he stepped away from the podium and met up with Remus who walked with him up to Moody's office. When the door was closed, Moody sighed, rubbing his temples.

"That's the question I've been trying to avoid since we found those bodies yesterday," he muttered. "You can't explain that."

"But you have a pretty good idea of who did it," Remus responded knowingly.

Moody snorted picking up the file they had on Draco Malfoy and tossing it over to Remus.

"Draco Malfoy has been the epitome of intelligent bad guys everywhere," he growled. "He does the most horrendous crimes and is able to get away with it because he doesn't leave a single mark pointing to him. We all know it was him, but there's absolutely no proof and the only probable witness is stuck in Mungos with no sign of waking up."

"What happened anyway? I've been at the hospital since Ginny was found and the Weasley's want to know what's going on," Remus stated, looking down at the file.

Moody shook his head, his mind bombarded with images that he would much rather like to forget.

"What happened? The night of the raid, we picked up two hundred twenty-three of the original three fifty that were there at the Malfoy place. The only one's missing were Draco and Lucius Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson. We placed them all in Azkaban. The next day they're all missing."

"What?" Remus asked, shocked. Moody shook his head, not able to believe the words that were coming out of his mouth as well.

"I don't know how it happened but all two hundred and twenty-three of them are gone. No trail or anything…"

"How does that happen? How do two hundred and twenty-three people just disappear?!"

"We don't know. The guards were all accounted for and no alarms were triggered. We have absolutely no idea how all those people got out."

"Well… what happened?"

Moody shuddered.

"Over the last three days we've been finding all of them in various places in London… dead."

"All of them?"

Moody nodded.

"All of them. All dead in a way I don't even want to begin to explain… who ever did this was not happy, Remus. We have a feeling its Draco Malfoy, but we can't find him anywhere and there's no evidence to prove it… then yesterday… we find Pansy Parkinson at the London Bridge. It was a nightmare."

"Dead?"

"Yep… hung, burned and gutted… all while she was alive."

"What?!"

"That's what one of the Healers told us after the autopsy. Said that she suffered the worst possible death," Moody explained.

Remus shook his head in disgust and horror.

"And you think Draco Malfoy killed all of them? That's over two hundred people in three days!"

"Did you catch a glimpse of him the night of the raid?"

"No."

"Well if you had, then you'd understand. Especially after all that stuff that happened to Ginny Weasley… Dumbledore told us about how those two were involved," Moody pointed out.

Remus let out a pained sigh and rubbed his face.

"Oh Ginny…"

"Is she getting better?"

Remus shrugged helplessly.

"We don't know… She went through hell down there, Alastor. And on top of that the Healer's saying she's pregnant."

"_Pregnant_?!" Moody yelped, standing up. Remus's eyes were filled with pain.

"The Healer had to do a preliminary rape scan to make sure because of the potions she had to use… Ginny's pregnant… and it's impossible to remove the baby."

"Why?"

"Lucius Malfoy placed a curse over her preventing the baby from being removed. We try and Ginny dies," Remus explained helplessly. "The whole family's messed up, especially since Ginny's not waking up."

Moody shook his head.

"What about Hermione Granger? Any change?"

Remus nodded in even more pain.

"She's not going to make it past Wednesday," he told the Auror. "They don't know how to stop the curse."

"How's Ron?"

"I don't know… he's been… quiet. He hasn't visited her since we found Ginny."

Moody sighed.

"So I guess we just wait…"

Remus looked back down at the file in his hand.

"Any idea where he is?" he asked, motioning to the file. Moody snorted.

"Who knows? His father hasn't turned up yet, so you can bet that he won't."

"You think Lucius is dead?"

Moody shook his head.

"I think Lucius Malfoy is being tortured in the worst possible way, which is hard to think about after what we found out Ginny went through. Draco Malfoy was pissed."

"You think he'll turn up eventually?"

"I think he killed two hundred and twenty-three people. I don't _want_ him to turn up."

"But you think he will."

Moody nodded.

"If I know anything about Malfoys is that they pride themselves on rubbing things in. If he doesn't show up for Ginny, he'll show up just to piss people off."

* * *

To everyone's shock, joy and horror, Hermione did wake up on the day before her scheduled death. What made the whole thing so horrific was the following.

Everyone had been gathered in the waiting room, just sitting around impatiently as time passed. Harry was keeping a close eye on Ron, who had not said much of anything since they had arrived. He knew Ron was in unbelievable pain on the inside because of his sister and Hermione… who was dying…

"Ron… maybe you should go in…" he whispered.

Ron shook his head, staring at the same spot on the floor he had been staring at for the past two hours.

"No," was all he offered.

"Ron-"

"I don't want to go in, Harry, so drop it," he growled.

"But this might be the last chance-"

"I spent Christmas with her, Harry… I don't want to ruin it by watching her die…"

"But-"

"Harry," Ron warned and Harry fell into silence.

It was five minutes after that when they heard the screaming. Hermione's screams.

"What the hell?" Fred and George yelled. Ron shot off towards Hermione's room and burst through the door, Harry right on his heels.

"Oh my God!"

It was like a nightmare.

Hermione was sitting up in bed, screaming her head off, her terrorized eyes fixed on something in the corner. They turned to see it and froze.

The floor was covered in blood, coming from the mutilated body in the corner. It was as if someone had taken a large knife and just started hacking away at everything… Most of the skin had been peeled off and muscles were hanging off of broken limbs. Organs were sticking out of the stomach as well…

Everything lying in complete and nauseating ruin… except the face… the face was untouched… perfect even in the horrendous violence. Dead grey eyes stared out in horror while the mouth hung slack with an eternal scream…

"Lucius Malfoy," Harry whispered while Ron ran over to Hermione and grabbed her head, turning it away from the carnage.

"Look at me, Hermione. Just look at me," he whispered in as calm a voice as he could manage as others came into the room.

"Oh my God!" Mrs. Weasley screamed, backing away. "What happened?!"

Hermione's breathing was erratic as she struggled to calm down. Her grip on Ron's arms was tight as she stared wide-eyed into his eyes, labored gasps coming from her lips.

"Ron," she cried. "Ron!"

He leaned in and kissed her quickly on the lips before he picked her up and carried her out of the bloody room.

"We need to get her into another room," he said quickly, passing Harry, who had finally torn his eyes away from the carcass.

"I'll go check on Ginny."

* * *

Two hours later and Lucius Malfoy's body was finally removed from the hospital room. They still had no idea how it had gotten there in the first place since both Hermione and Ginny had guards on their rooms.

Hermione's parents were in the room with her, Ron, Harry, Remus and Moody.

"Hermione, who woke you up?" Remus asked quietly as she sat up in her new bed, holding Ron's hand tightly in hers. The two had been inseparable since she'd woken up. She shook her head.

"I don't know… I… I just remember… the body," she whispered. Ron squeezed her hand comfortingly and she brought his hand up to her lips, closing her eyes as she tried not to cry. "I heard a voice before I woke up though."

"Draco Malfoy?" Remus asked quickly.

Hermione shrugged, glancing over at her parents who also sat by the bed. Harry was standing in the corner.

"I don't know… it was a bit muddled… and I was in too much pain to care," she added. She felt Ron flinch beside her and she turned to look at him. "You stopped coming in though… four or five days ago… you stopped coming in."

Ron looked away from her, growing tense.

"You… you were dying, Hermione…" he murmured.

Hermione's eyes watered and she placed a hand on his head, leaning in and kissing his forehead.

"I love you," she whispered. Hermione's parents tensed at the words, but said nothing. Harry smiled a little and made a move to leave when Hermione's voice stopped him. "What happened to Ginny and Malfoy? The last thing I remember is seeing his father…"

Ron and Harry exchanged glances while Remus answered.

"Hermione… Ginny was raped… she's pregnant," he whispered.

For a moment, Hermione just stared at Remus as if she'd just seen him for the first time, then she took a deep breath, closing her eyes.

"Can I see her?"

Harry shook his head.

"She hasn't woken up yet… she… they… they really hurt her Hermione…"

Hermione bit her lip as tears came to her eyes. She pulled her hand away from Ron and wrapped her arms around herself. Ron caught a look from Remus and stood, leaving with Harry while Hermione's mother came over and hugged her daughter tightly. Remus and Moody came out a few minutes later.

"We should check on the others," Remus suggested before turning to Moody. "What are you going to do?"

Moody shook his head, pissed.

"We all know it was Malfoy," he growled. "I have guys out there now looking for him-"

Fred and George appeared suddenly, out of breath.

"Malfoy's in the waiting room!" they told the others together. All of them took off towards the waiting room where an unusually calm Draco Malfoy was sitting in a chair with five wands pointed in his face.

Mrs. Weasley was screaming at him while being held back by Bill and her husband, who looked like he would have liked to deck the expressionless blonde.

"You heartless murderous little bastard!" she screeched. "You have no right to be here! You destroyed my daughter! Why are you here?"

When Draco did not respond to her screams she only got angrier.

"Answer me damn it!" she shouted. "How can you live with yourself?!"

"Molly, he's not worth talking to," Mr. Weasley growled, pulling her back. "He has no interest in our daughter. He just wants to rub in the fact that he's the reason she's here."

The corner of Draco's mouth twitched but he never said a word as he received hateful glares from the people around him. When he caught sight of Moody, however, a smirk appeared.

"I heard you found my father," he greeted in a voice that was way too calm for someone in his position. "How did he look?"

Moody pointed to the guards who had wands on him.

"Secure his arse and then take him to Azkaban," he growled. "Draco Malfoy, you're under arrest for the murder-"

Draco rolled his eyes, sighing.

"Oh Alastor," he said. "You underestimate my intelligence. Do you _honestly_ think that I would kill my father? _Or_ those two hundred and twenty-four people you happen to be missing?"

Moody ignored him.

"Take him in."

"Moody, you have no evidence, no witnesses, I have a concrete alibi and _you_ know you can't arrest me," Draco told him, standing up with a smirk on his face. "I'm _immune_."

"You sick bastard!" Mrs. Weasley hissed violently. Draco glanced over at her.

"You sound like her."

Every single Weasley with the exception of Mrs. Weasley, Percy and Ron, lunged at Draco but before they could get to him he pulled out his wand and wielded it around dangerously, his eyes blazing.

"Try it! TRY IT!" he bellowed. "And she'll _never_ wake up."

"YOU PRICK! GO TO HELL!" Bill roared.

Draco shrugged off the guards who had grabbed him to hold him back. Ignoring the seething Weasleys, he turned to Moody.

"You want to wake her up, contact me. If you show up for any other reason, I'll show you what I would have done to Lucius," he growled before striding off down the hall. Fred and George ran after him and with the crack of a wand they went flying, crashing into the waiting room chairs. Draco's face was once again emotionless. "If any Weasley appears at my flat, then I swear to God I'll kill them," he whispered, turning to leave.

"You don't care about her!"

"Uh oh."

The second remark came from Ron and Harry, who had seen exactly what Draco was capable of.

Draco remained silent for a moment, trying desperately to control the rage that had been flowing through him for the past few days. He had finally managed to shove it back down in the depths of himself and now these people were starting to push him again.

"You must not care about her either, because if you did you wouldn't be saying shit like that to me," came the cold hiss before Draco disappeared down the hall. Ron let out a helpless groan.

"You tossers! Now _you're _the one's who are going to get her killed!" he snapped angrily.

"Us!" Charlie growled, advancing on his brother. "He's the one acting like a self-righteous son of a bitch!"

"Because he is!" Harry shouted. "He's an arse! He's a malicious, selfish, manipulative son of a bitch! But he's the only one who can help Ginny and _you're_ the ones who are preventing that by pissing him off!"

Molly Weasley turned on Moody.

"How could you let him go?! How could you let him just walk away?! He deserves to rot in Azkaban for what he's done to Ginny!"

Moody shook his head.

"Molly, he's right. We can't arrest him because we have no proof!"

"No proof! He's a bloody Malfoy! He's killing my baby!" she screamed.

"Then let him help her!" Harry snapped.

Mrs. Weasley was stunned by Harry's outburst and stared at him for a long time without saying a thing. Mr. Weasley on the other hand found his voice.

"He's the reason Ginny's in this hospital," he growled.

"Yeah, I'm sure Malfoy _forced_ Ginny to fall in love with him," Ron muttered sarcastically and instantly regretted it.

He was pinned against the wall by three of his brothers while the other two had wands to his chest, eyes blazing.

"You shit, you think Ginny _deserved_ this?!" Charlie growled menacingly, his grip on Ron's throat tightening. Remus and a guard grabbed Harry to stop him from interfering in the very volatile family dispute. Ron struggled against his brothers but his resistance was futile. They had him pinned.

"I'm just saying that she knew exactly what she was getting herself into," he snapped before he was punched surprisingly by Percy. "_Shit!_" Ron swore, feeling the blood pour out of his nose. Mrs. Weasley flinched at the action.

"Boys! Stop!"

But they ignored their mother.

"You're a traitorous bastard, you know that, Ron," Bill growled.

Ron growled.

"_I'm_ the traitorous bastard?! You guys are the ones who won't make nice with Malfoy! You're the ones who are killing Ginny!" he snarled.

Ron was punched again.

"Ron!"

They all looked up to see Hermione standing in the hall, clinging to her mother's arm with wide terrified eyes. She looked to weak to be out, but the commotion had aroused her curiosity and she had convinced her parents to help her out to the waiting room.

"What are you doing?!" she cried, breaking away from her parents and stumbling feebly over to where Ron was. His brothers let him slide down to the floor and parted for Hermione to get through. She fell to the ground and took his face in her hands. "Why are you hurting him?!"

Ron groaned and took Hermione's wrists in his hands.

"Hermione, I'm okay," he mumbled through the blood that was moving down his face. "I'm fine… you need to get back in bed. You shouldn't be walking around."

Hermione touched his face, fear in her eyes.

"You're bleeding everywhere," she whispered, tears running down her eyes. Ron snorted and struggled to his feet before he helped Hermione to her shaky feet.

"Hermione, I'm fine. You need to get back to bed. You just woke up and I don't need you hurting yourself anymore," he whispered.

Hermione ignored him and turned to his brothers.

"What's wrong with you?! Why are you hurting him?"

"Because he thinks that some of this is Ginny's fault!" Fred and George growled.

Hermione leaned against Ron, taking a deep breath.

"Well some of it is," she snapped. "She knew what she was getting into, though that's no excuse for what happened to her. What happened to Ginny was ghastly and unimaginable, but she knew that Draco was dangerous and she knew that his family wanted him dead. If Draco's the only one who can save her then I don't see why you're all fighting!" With that said, she turned to Harry. "Can you two help me back to my room?"

Harry walked over to Hermione and took her other arm.

"Sure," he whispered, glancing over at Ron's very ashamed brothers. Hermione saw the look and frowned.

"You should go apologize to Draco."

"What?!"

"Hermione's right," Remus cut in, stepping in front of the three friends. "You should _all_ go," he added, glancing over at Ron. "You know very well that the only way Malfoy's going to help us is if you apologize… you both care about Ginny, so do the right thing."

He took the arm Ron had a hold of and helped Hermione back to her room with Harry while her parents followed behind. Ron wiped his bloody nose with his sleeve, shooting nasty looks at his brothers.

"Well?"

* * *

Luna looked up from watching Blaise sleep to see Draco enter the flat. She bit her lip but said nothing as she turned her gaze back to Blaise. Draco watched her for a moment, noticing the affectionate way she stroked Blaise's hair as he slept on the couch of Draco's flat.

"Blaise, do you have a problem with using your own flat to be disgusting?" he asked. Luna immediately removed her hands from Blaise and folded her arms over her chest. Blaise opened his eyes at the action and glanced over at the tall blonde.

"I would, but Lovegood's not so much into the love," he said smiling at the corny joke. Luna blushed and looked up at Draco in concern.

"How's Ginny? Blaise wouldn't let me go today," she added, shooting the dark young man a nasty glare. Draco's eyes darkened and he moved into the large kitchen. Blaise got up and followed him and Luna trailed behind.

"Did something happen?" Blaise asked.

Draco shrugged.

"I wasn't able to see her. I don't know what's going on."

"Since when does Draco Malfoy not know what's going on?" Blaise asked, leaning against the counter.

"Since Ginny Weasley decided to screw me over," Draco growled menacingly.

Luna stood at the counter beside Blaise and took his hand.

"I think I should go," she whispered to him. "I really want to go see Ginny. And Hermione."

Blaise nodded reluctantly, pulling Luna to him and kissing her quickly before watching her walk out the kitchen. They waited until the front door shut before Blaise spoke.

"Is she dying?"

Draco paled.

"I told you, I don't know anything," he muttered, pulling out a bottle of firewhiskey from the cupboard and opening it. Blaise watched him down half of the bottle before speaking.

"You know, you have to breathe," he commented. Draco spit the whiskey at Blaise with a sneer.

"You want to end up like Parkinson?" he snarled.

Blaise just remained calm, knowing that there was much more going on.

After seventeen years of conforming to the way of life his parents had set out for him, Draco Malfoy had finally snapped. He had fallen in love with the worst possible person and had destroyed everyone who had hurt her. Blaise was dealing with seventeen years of suppressed rage. The past week or so had done absolutely nothing to satisfy that rage.

"Why haven't you gone to see her?"

"I can't."

"Why?"

A deep growl rumbled in the depths of Draco's chest as his stormy grey eyes fell on Blaise. Blaise raised an eyebrow.

"You love her."

It was a very clear statement that only annoyed Draco, who downed the rest of the bottle before chucking it into the wall.

"Go screw Lovegood."

"I thought I just told you she's-"

Draco turned around to face Blaise.

"I'm sorry, I should have been clearer. _Get out_," he growled.

Blaise watched him for a moment before nodding and moving towards the front door.

"I never thought I'd see the day when Draco Malfoy actually loved snogging something more than his own reflection," he muttered loudly before shutting the door.

Draco couldn't help but smirk at the comment as he sat down heavily on his couch, closing his eyes and trying to breathe.

"_You love her_._"_

Of course he loved her…

He needed her…

And he wanted to be the first person she saw when she woke up…

He sneered at the thought of who Hermione Granger had woken up to.

He had thought of dumping his father's carcass at the Ministry, but he knew that it would have been too political. This was personal. Besides, he liked the idea of scaring the hell out of Hermione.

Someone knocked at his door and he sighed.

Finally.

He stood up and walked over to the door. He looked through the peephole and growled. As he opened the door, he pulled out his wand, leaning against the door.

"I still have no problem killing every single one of you redheaded freaks," he growled, eyes moving over what was left of the Weasley family. Mr. Weasley frowned.

"You have some nerve-"

"Seeing as I just promised to kill you and seeing as _you_ came to _me_ for help, I think you should be a little nicer, Arthur," Draco cut in, eyes growing colder by the minute. Ron coughed and stepped forward.

"We've come to apologize, Malfoy… and to ask you to help Gin," he added.

Draco raised an eyebrow, silently assessing the expressions of the other Weasleys. Though most of them were glaring at him, he could also see the desperation in their eyes. This acknowledgment made him smirk.

"Well… this _is_ a surprise," he drawled lazily, standing to the side to let them in. As they walked past him, he screwed up his face in disgust, eyes falling on the twins in particular. "Don't touch anything. I don't want a smell when you leave."

**A/N: Hello! I hope you've enjoyed this chapter. Sorry! Sorry! Very big mistake in the middle of the chapter. It's all corrected now. Sorry!**

**ExpectoMagic:** Well, this story will definitely be completed so don't worry.

**KuroitsukiNoMai:** I don't know what you'll do while you wait, but i know what you'll do after you read this chapter! REVIEW! :-)

**Nightcrawlerfw:** I'll definitely be writing more.

**MeggyandHaku:** I'm not making promises.

**snowfire81:** I think we had enough of disturbing scenes, so I just decided to give you the products of Draco's rage.

**Steph:** Thank you.

**angstygoodness:** Thank you. To be honest, I've only read two other D/G stories before I decided to write this one. I've been thinking about writing this story for almost a year.

**Skepo:** Oh don't worry, Lucius is _very_ dead.

**younggem:** Well it's over in one way, but still continuing in other ways.

**mrsronweasley2113:** Well, i wouldnt say tht killing over two hundred peope in blind anger would count as being like Harry, but yeah... I see what you mean about acting un-Draco like.

**nextbestthing:** Yes, he did and Blaise is obviously fine. Thanks for adding the stories to your list and as for Hermione, I think Draco was being a bit mean when it came to her.

**purplegabby123:** I don't think Draco will being going to Azkaban anytime soon. He's to good for that.

**tamara72:** I didn't necessarily do things in your order, but I did get things done.

**luckycharm9:** I think I answered that question.

**No Chapter Tease.**


	30. If You're Not Confused

**A/N: Only two more chapters after this!**

_If you're not confused, you're not paying attention._ **–Tom Peters**

* * *

When Draco arrived back at the waiting room, he knew that the Weasleys were hiding something from him. Though the old Draco would have demanded to know what it was, the desperation to see Ginny outweighed his need for answers at the moment.

Merlin he needed a vacation.

At first Mr. and Mrs. Weasley both seemed apprehensive of letting him go in and see Ginny by himself, but after he'd threatened them by saying he'd just go back home and after a few colorful words by some of the Weasley brothers, the parents had allowed him to go into her room.

When he closed the door behind himself, his eyes fell on Ginny's prone pale body. She would looked dead actually, her only sign of life being the very slight movement of her chest as she breathed.

For a moment he just stared at her, the familiar anger that had been in him over the past few days resurfacing as his mind went through those three unrelenting days of torture. Her screams and cries for help echoed in his head as if they were still going on… her broken body only bringing more pain into his life…

He walked over to her bedside and looked over her carefully before pulling out his wand and waving it over her.

He whispered the words he'd heard his father use a couple of times to torture victims to wake them up from their comatose state. Only this time, he would not be killing her.

Nothing happened initially but then she let out a groan and her eyes opened. She stared up at him for a moment, blinking constantly with confusion in her eyes.

"Draco?" she murmured. "What-"

"You're in the hospital," he whispered, sitting down on the side of her bed. She continued to stare at him, as if trying to figure things out. She was silent for a moment before her eyes filled with pain and tears.

"Oh my God," she whispered. "It actually happened…"

"Yeah…"

"And?"

Draco's eyes blazed with anger.

"They're all dead. _All_ of them," he growled, causing Ginny to shudder.

"Oh my God… where's my family?"

"Outside. I came in to wake you up," he replied, his voice shaking with barely controlled rage. Ginny reached out and touched his face, her mind going back to the words he had spoken to her on the second day of her horrific time at his house.

"Draco-"

His lips captured hers in a searing kiss as more tears began to fall from her eyes. Her hands found their way in his hair, tugging him closer as his hands snaked around her waist, pulling her up. Their lips moved aggressively against each other both desperate to forget those nightmarish three days and just get lost in the passion that had been the base of their relationship.

Draco moved away from her lips, his need to feel all of her overcoming him. He ran trails of kisses down her jaw and neck, pulling at her skin tenderly. The only thing that fueled him on was Ginny's weak gasps as she whimpered his name.

He wanted all of her again… he wanted to make her forget the pain that he had caused her and just get lost in her…

Ginny was drowning. She was suffocating beneath the onslaught of Draco's kisses but she couldn't stop him. She wanted to but at the same time she didn't. She had been denied his amazing touch and consuming lips for such a long time that all she wanted was to feel him against her again, kissing her like the world was going to end… but as he did images were flooding her mind. Feelings were crawling into her, causing her body to react negatively to his touch and after a moment she could hear herself begging him to stop.

Suddenly he was gone and when she opened her eyes she found him sitting on the side of the bed, watching her with expressionless eyes. She placed a hand to her mouth to keep herself from saying the very words that she knew he was thinking…

_No… you can't think of him like that… he isn't his father… you can't be afraid of him!_

But she was… she knew it with every second that passed.

She wanted him but she was terrified of him… because of what his father had done…

"Draco, I-"

He placed a finger to her lips, cutting off any explanation.

"If your next words aren't 'Draco make love to me', then I wouldn't say anything if I were you," he whispered and she nodded, biting her lip. He watched as her eyes closed when he ran his finger down her jaw and down to her neck, where his hand curled around her throat, squeezing it gently. "Your family's outside."

"I don't want to see them."

"I'm the one who destroyed you and you want to stay in here with me?" he asked incredulously.

Her eyes opened and she pulled away from him, looking down at her hands.

"Well… contrary to what _you_ may think, I've been waiting a long time for this also," she whispered.

Before she could stop him, Draco leaned in and kissed her again. Only this time, he slowed down and took his time, knowing that pushing her would only bring back memories of his father and that was something he would do anything to keep from happening. He heard her whimper a little under his touch and he pulled away, kissing her face as he struggled with himself.

He wanted her so badly. Every nerve in his body screamed for her and every piece of skin longed for her caress…

"What do you mean, I can't go in there? I'm her Healer. Ginny needs to know that she's pregnant before she starts taking anything someone might- Oh!"

The Healer stopped upon realizing that Ginny was not alone in the room. Ginny's parents stood at the door, eyes wide. Unfortunately, the Healer's words were already out…

"Oh my God," Ginny murmured numbly, placing a hand over her stomach as the full meaning of the words slowly sinking in. Beside her, she felt Draco become motionless like a statue, and just stare at the Healer for what seemed like forever.

She waited for the punch line.

She waited for the hidden cameras like in those muggle shows she had seen briefly one summer.

She waited for someone to start laughing and tell her that the whole thing was a joke and that this whole thing had never happened…

But no one ever did.

The tears that ran down her mother's face at the doorway and the way her father stared at her was a testament to how real things had become. Draco moved to the door, wand drawn.

"Everyone leaves now," he said calmly. The Healer's eyes widened and Ginny's parents paled.

"Mr. Malfoy, I don't think-"

"Get out," he snapped.

"Oh my God," she whispered again. "No…"

"Shut up," came Draco's cold voice.

"No…"

"Malfoy, you don't know what you're doing," Mr. Weasley hissed, entering the room. Draco pointed his wand at the patriarch, eyes blazing.

"Get out, now," he snapped.

Ginny let out a sob.

"No… _no_…"

"Shut up."

"No, no, no, no, no," she cried softly, burning tears running down her face.

"_Shut up_," Draco growled threateningly.

"No…"

"Shut up!"

"NO!" Ginny suddenly shrieked, surprising everyone by jumping out of bed and lunging at Draco. Catching him off guard, she managed to shove him into the wall before she proceeded to hit him as hard as she could. "YOU DID THIS! YOU BASTARD YOU DID THIS TO ME! YOU DID THIS!"

Draco shoved her away and pointed his wand at her stomach. Her eyes widened while Mr. Weasley and the Healer lunged at Draco. Ginny's brothers appeared at the door.

"You kill that baby and she dies!" the Healer screamed, stepping back when she found Draco's wand in her face. "Your father placed a curse over her! You terminate that baby and you'll kill Ginny!"

Draco's eyes remained on a sobbing Ginny.

"Then maybe she deserves to die," he growled. Ginny glared up at him, hate filling her pained brown eyes.

"I HATE YOU! YOU DID THIS TO ME! IF YOU HAD JUST LEFT ME ALONE! IF YOU HAD JUST LET ME DIE IN THAT DREAM I WOULDN'T BE LIKE THIS! THIS IS YOUR FAULT YOU BASTARD! I HATE YOU!" she sobbed from her place on the ground. "I HATE YOU!"

Draco looked like he would have liked to kill her as well, but instead, he just glared at her. She could see the hate in his eyes, but she knew it was not for her… it was for what was in her…

"I should have killed him sooner," were the words that came out of his lips before he disapparated.

A heartbroken sob escaped Ginny as her mother rushed to her side.

"Oh Ginny, I'm so sorry," she cried with her daughter. "I'm so sorry!"

* * *

Goyle unlocked the door to Draco's flat and he entered in with Valance, Rockwell and Blaise close behind. They had just come back from the Ministry, getting permission to retrieve Rayne, who had been kept there since the raid. She was currently sleeping in Rockwell's arms. They stopped at the large living room, surprised by what they saw.

The flat was completely destroyed.

The kitchen looked as if someone had set fire to it while the living room seemed to have exploded. Books were all over the place, their pages ripped to shreds. The curtains were singed with holes and there were large gapes in the wall where someone had punched at it several times.

Draco stood by the window, staring out blankly. He looked completely and utterly lost.

His knuckles were bleeding with splinters in them while his clothes were torn in various places.

"She's pregnant," he whispered, his voice void of any feeling. They all stared at him, at a loss for what to say. They had never faced this sort of Draco before. They had never dealt with a man who was in so much pain… they had never dealt with a man that was in love…

"I should have made him suffer more," Draco continued as if he were talking to himself. "I should have pulled out his eyes and made him-"

"She said she hated you didn't she?" Rockwell asked quickly.

Draco was quiet for a moment before speaking.

"She said it was my fault…"

* * *

Two weeks passed before Hermione and Ginny were released from the hospital. Hermione returned to Hogwarts immediately while Ginny went home to the Burrow to spend another week. Ron, Harry and Hermione went back into their normal routine at Hogwarts, avoiding as many questions as possible about Ginny. Many of the Gryffindors knew that something bad had happened to her, but they did not know the details.

Draco, who had been suspended from Hogwarts until a ministerial investigation on the deaths of the two hundred and twenty-five deaths that had occurred, had arrived back at school a week after Hermione had and had nothing to say to anyone, not that they were asking. Rayne arrived with him and this time she went everywhere with him, despite her age. The fifteen previous deaths that had gotten him in trouble before Ginny's abduction, though put off as self-defense, had caused a wave of fear through the student body prior to the Christmas holidays. After what they had heard about the other bodies, no one was in any mood to get on Draco Malfoy's bad side.

It was obvious though, that Ginny's absence from the school was taking a very big toll on the once uncaring Malfoy. He was an emotionless mess. He no longer paid attention to the insults that were constantly hurled his way by angry Gryffindors who believed he was the reason Ginny's absence was so drawn out. He just went to classes and meals with nothing to say and that above everything else, scared all of them, especially Ron and Harry, who believed that the Malfoy would explode eventually and hurt someone.

Ginny wasn't fairing any differently with the loss of Draco.

Though visited daily by her brothers, except for Ron of course, Ginny secluded herself to her bedroom, staring at herself in the mirror for countless hours. What she saw was a skeletal ghost of what used to be Ginny Weasley… wasting away as the days went by. She hardly ate and she never talked much, no matter how much they tried to help her.

She was still dying slowly from the inside…

Her family was subjected to this when she woke up at night screaming from the memories of the three days she had spent at the Malfoy manor. Her nightmares would bring back both the emotional as well as physical pain from the attacks pulling her further into the miserable state of mind she was being consumed with.

"Ginny?"

Ginny pulled her eyes away from her stomach to see her eldest brother, Bill, standing at the door, watching her with concern in his eyes. She bit her lip and pulled her t-shirt down over her.

"What?"

"Are you alright?"

She closed her eyes and sighed.

"I'm fine, Bill," she whispered.

"You want to talk about anything?"

"Like Draco?"

"Sure," Bill muttered.

Ginny turned to him, surprised by his forwardness. None of her other brothers had wanted to mention the young man who had started this whole thing.

"Why?"

"Because I know that no matter how much you deny it, you still love him and want him back," he replied quickly, a slightly disturbed look on his face.

"And you accept that?" Ginny asked incredulously.

Bill sighed, his eyes traveling down to her stomach. Ginny followed his gaze and tensed.

"I've accepted the fact that he killed all of those people because he's incapable of really showing his feelings for you. I've accepted that he never wanted to be like his father, which is probably one of the reasons why he fell for you. I've accepted the fact that the reason why he's not here right now is because he doesn't want to repeat the cycle that started with him. He doesn't want the baby to grow up like he did…" At this point he sighed. "I've also accepted the fact that… no matter how much I dislike the prick… he saved you… in some sick, horrific way… he saved you… and I'm glad he did…"

Ginny's eyes filled with tears and before she knew it she was sobbing into her brother's shoulder.

"I'm so sorry, Bill… I never wanted this to happen!"

Bill couldn't help but smile, despite the seriousness of the situation.

"I know, Gin… but it did… and we're all going to love that little baby… no matter who the father was."

"Is."

"Is?"

Ginny pulled away from her brother and looked up at him.

"Lucius Malfoy may have been the one who raped me… but Draco is the only one who deserves the father title."

Bill took a moment before responding, knowing that if he said the wrong words, she'd never forgive him.

"Okay… fine…"

Ginny smiled.

"Thank you, Bill… really…"

Bill rolled his eyes and placed a hand on her stomach.

"If you end up with that stupid blonde hair, I'm going to kick your arse," he muttered and Ginny slapped him in the arm.

"Bill!"

Her brother snorted, rubbing his arm ruefully.

"What?! It's true. That baby ends up looking more like a Malfoy than a Weasley and something will have to be done… it's traditional that all of those who look like Malfoy's get their arses kicked."

"But it's my baby," she said.

Bill sighed, standing up and glancing out the window into the backyard.

"Fine, if it's a boy, we'll wait until he's five before we kick his arse."

"And if it's a girl?"

"Well… then we'll just shave off her hair every year until she's seventeen."

Ginny couldn't help but laugh at the image.

"That's horrible," she said, standing up and walking over to the window.

"You want to know what's horrible. The thought of Percy and Hermione trying to convince the little guy that there are better things in this world rather than Quiddich! That's what's horrible," he countered. Ginny laughed harder, loving the feeling it brought. She realized how much she missed just being with her brothers and she hugged him tightly.

"Thank you, Bill."

Bill smiled and hugged her back.

"You're welcome, Gin… but I was serious about shaving the girl's head. I don't think she'd survive long anyway. Think about it. One blonde in the midst of all these redheads!"

Ginny laughed as she pulled away.

"If this child ends up having red hair, I'm going to shave _your_ head just for the hell of it," she said.

"That thing is going to have blonde hair, trust me."

Bill and Ginny turned to see Draco standing at the door, a dark look on his face. Bill stepped in front of Ginny, frowning.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he demanded.

Draco's eyes fell on her brother.

"I decided to skip a few classes," he answered coldly. "You didn't seem to mind me when you thought I wasn't here."

"How long have you been listening?" Ginny couldn't help but ask as she felt Bill tense up.

"Since William decided that he accepted the fact that I killed two hundred and twenty five people in four days," he replied, not taking his eyes off of her brother.

"What do you want?" Bill snapped.

"What do you think I want?"

Ginny grabbed Bill's hand and shook it gently.

"Bill, its okay… I can handle it," she whispered.

He looked apprehensive, but he walked to the door anyway.

"I'll be right outside," he growled. "So don't try anything."

Draco rolled his eyes.

"If I was going to try something, I wouldn't wait until you were outside," he replied. Bill shot him a nasty look before shutting the door behind him. Draco's eyes finally fell on Ginny, but did not stop until they reached her stomach. She unconsciously placed her arms around herself as if shielding the unborn child from Draco's attack.

"What _are_ you doing here?" she asked incredulously, remembering that the last time she had seen him she had been given horrible news about a nightmarish situation. Draco did not answer immediately. Instead he walked past her to the window and looked out, eyes glazed over and unseeing.

"I don't want the father title," he whispered. Ginny stiffened at the words, biting her lip.

"You hate the baby," she replied quietly.

Draco closed his eyes, trying to control his temper. He had managed to do it for the past few weeks, but being here with her again only brought back the hate… the anger… the pain…

"I hate the father."

"Sperm donors aren't fathers, Draco," she snapped, the same hatred presenting itself in her heart. She walked over to the window and leaned against the wall, watching him carefully. "You're not your father."

His lip curled when he spoke.

"Yeah, I turned out perfectly normal. A cheery, innocent, average boy with the perfect loving family and the wonderful virgin girlfriend and tons of friends who would do _anything_ to make sure I was safe," he sneered. Ginny flinched at the girlfriend statement.

"You protected me," she whispered.

"And look how you turned out."

"Draco, you can't condemn this child."

"It's a bastard's child," he growled.

"That makes two of you," she snapped angrily and to her surprise, he laughed, finally meeting her gaze.

"What do you want, Weasley? A beautiful little family?"

Ginny glared at him defiantly.

"It happened before," she retorted. She saw his fists curl in anger but could see the self-restraint in his eyes.

"That was _my_ child, Weasley. Not my father's."

Ginny reached up and took his face in her hands.

"This child _needs_ you," she whispered. "_I_ need you."

Draco took hold of her wrists and pulled her hands away from him.

"I won't raise that child," he growled.

Ginny wrapped her arms around herself, stepping away from him.

"Then what did you come here for? To say that I'm carrying evil and that my child will just become another you if you stay so you're leaving?" she asked angrily. "If you wanted to break my heart again, you could have just stuck another stake down my back."

Draco stiffened at the mention of the attack, but said nothing for a long time. He just stared out the window, completely still. When he did answer, his voice was shaking with barely controlled anger.

"I'm going to be quite candid with you, Weasley. I _loathe_ that baby," he hissed, turning to face her. "I will _never_ love that child no matter how it turns out. I will _never_ raise that child no matter how much you want me to. My father screwed me over when he screwed you and I'll be damned if I let him screw with me for the rest of my life by giving me a constant reminder of what I lost," he growled, point at her stomach. "That baby represents everything I hate and I will not let you guilt me into staying for it."

Tears ran down Ginny's face and she wiped at them angrily, hating herself for letting things get this far. Hating herself for loving him so much that it hurt to hear the truth. She had known that it would come to this… even in her discussion with Bill, she knew Draco would never stay that long…

"So that's it… I love you and… you love me… but I'm the one who has to live with it?"

"Exactly."

Ginny looked up at him through the tears. For a moment she wanted to hit him. She wanted to curse him and make him feel every single type of pain she had felt ever since this whole thing had started but she knew she didn't have to. She could see it in his eyes…

"Then why are you still here?" she asked again.

Instead of answering her with words, he leaned in and captured her lips in a painstakingly slow kiss that left her whimpering for more. She felt his hands move around her waist and she leaned into him, allowing him to quickly deepen the kiss. Their lips moved against the other passionately, both desperate to forget the nightmares that had haunted them since she had woken up. One of his hands found its way under her shirt, grazing her skin but never touching her stomach… he could not bring himself to…

Ginny could literally feel his hands shaking against her skin and knew that it was taking everything in his power not to go against everything he had just said and submit to the feelings that were surging through him. She knew he loved her… she had known that for a long time… but it was only then that she realized how much he really _needed _her.

He forced his body against hers, desperate to get as much contact as possible as he held her close. His lips moved away from hers down to her neck, breathing in her scent.

"Damn it, Ginny," he murmured. "I can't… I can't do this…"

She pulled away and looked into his disturbed grey eyes and shook her head.

"Then don't…"

He looked ready to give in to her offer, but instead he pulled something out of his pocket and held it out to her.

"All I can give you is nine months," he whispered.

Ginny's eyes widened at the object in his hands and it took her several minutes to answer him.

"Nine months…"

"The minute your water breaks, I'm gone," he said. Ginny closed her eyes and nodded.

"Fine."

* * *

Ron and Harry were sitting at breakfast one day, laughing and eating with Dean, Seamus, Lavender, Neville and Parvati. Hermione entered the Great Hall and noticed immediately how close Lavender happened to be sitting to her boyfriend and without a single thought she marched right up to Ron, took his face in her hands and kissed him deeply. Ron instinctively wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her down onto his lap, ignoring that fact that they had the entire Gryffindor table as an audience.

However, when Lavender let out an impatient cough, Hermione pulled away, smiling. Ron also had a goofy grin on his face.

"What was that for?" he asked as she slid off his lap and into her seat next to him.

"Oh nothing. Just wanted to say hello," she said, glancing over at Lanvender, who was fuming, before turning to the food before her. "Morning Harry."

Harry held up a hand.

"A simple handshake will do," he said. Dean, Seamus and Neville laughed while Lavender's scowl deepened. Parvati just ignored her friend.

"Are you feeling better, Hermione?"

The girl nodded, her grin widening.

"I am actually. I just got a letter from Ginny. She's coming back in a week."

Ron's eyes widened.

"What?!"

Hermione nodded.

"She is."

"Why didn't she send me a letter?!" he yelped.

Hermione rolled her eyes.

"She did. I just intercepted Pig before he got to you," she answered.

Harry glanced across to the almost empty Slytherin table. Rayne was sitting with Blaise and Rockwell. Goyle and Valance were no where to be seen. Draco Malfoy was missing as well.

"Where's Malfoy?"

The others frowned and looked over as well.

"He was missing yesterday also. So were Valance and Goyle."

"Where do you think he went?" Dean asked.

"Oy! Ron!"

They all turned to see Fred and George standing at the doors of the Great Hall, waving to their brother urgently. Ron got up quickly and hurried over to them. The others watched from their place at the table as Fred and George told their brother something.

"WHAT?!"

**A/N: Yes, Draco and Ginny finally face each other after that horrible time. Like the quote says, if you aren't confused then you aren't paying attention.**

**Skepo:** I love Relient K, in case you haven't figured that out yet. I hate Lucius also, but I'm glad he's dead.

**KuroitsukiNoMai:** Yes he has.

**purplegabby123:** Well, don't steal him yet. She's pregnant! You can't steal him from her now!

**PhoenixTalons:** Oh don't worry! I enjoyed _writing_ her death! :-)

**MeggyandHaku:** I know it was mean, but it was soooo like Draco to do something like that that I couldn't help myself! It's not in my nature to happy endings, so we'll just have to see where this story goes.

**Voldemort is Dead:** I checked the guidelines and it doesn't say anything about answering reviews. It says that Author's Notes are supposed to be brief and stuff and that they're not supposed to be their own chapter, but I didn't see anything about answering reviews. Maybe it is in there, but I haven't seen anything and no one from the site has said anything about me violating any rule. Not to be disrespectful or anything because I do really value your opinion, but if you don't like reading the reviews then just skip them. The answers are for who they're specified for. You don't have to read them. Just scroll down and press the next button. As for the positive stuff going, if you knew my style of writing, you would know that I'm not necessarily into the whole "happy ending" stuff, so I'm not going to promise any sort of "positive stuff". Thanks for your review.

**Beclectic27:** It does make sense and I'll try to watch that, but Word doesn't catch everything and I'm human so I obviously wont see everything, but I'll try. Thanks a lot!

**jenny:** I hope you enjoyed your dinner! I knew if I didn't add that, then this whole thing wouldn't have as much reprecussions as it should have had. (spelling?) I loved the part with Pansy and Lucius also. I like your little word of the chapter things! I think it was heartstopping. Hope you enjoy the next couple of chapters!

**angstygoodness:** You'll just have to wait and see.

**snowfire81:** I'm glad you thinks so!

**tamara72:** I'm glad you reminded me. I get so lost in the whole D/G problem that I forget about the other characters.

**nextbestthing:** I know, but it makes for a lot more problems between getting Draco and Ginny back together, you must agree!

**Chapter Tease: (The last one!)**

_"He rapes her then treats her like a dog," one muttered. Ron flared. _

_"He didn't rape her," he growled. _

_The other girl rolled her eyes. _

_"Sure. Malfoy may be cute, but no one wants to have his child," she replied. Ginny stood up, smiling falsly at them. _

_"I do."_


	31. Looks Like Love

_Take another step  
Don't give up on me just yet  
We could take a chance  
We could find a child's romance  
At least we'd love until we can't…_

**Looks like Love by Needtobreathe**

* * *

Ginny smiled as she walked down the halls of Hogwarts one Saturday morning. Ron and Hermione were bickering behind her while she and Harry walked ahead, trying to ignore the row.

"Are you going to be coming with us to Hogsmeade?" Harry asked. Ginny shrugged.

"Depends."

"Oh."

Ginny glanced over at him but said nothing as they walked along.

"Hermione, you can't just say that. Quiddich is _extremely_ important to what the Aurors are looking for. The job's physical as well and they want to know that I've been working out," Ron snapped behind them.

"I just don't think that you should make such a big deal out of it," Hermione replied heatedly. "You've done marvelous this year in your classes and I think you should put down those things as one of the biggest reasons why you should be picked for the job. Quiddich should be second."

"Hermione's right, Ron," Ginny said over her shoulder. "They're going to want to know that you're smart before they decide that you can knock someone out with a Quaffle ball if they're running away from you."

"Oh piss off, Ginny," Ron grumbled.

Ginny glanced back at him, a mock indignant look on her face. She touched the small bump that was her stomach.

"Hey! You shouldn't talk to the pregnant girl that way," she said.

Ron scowled at her.

"Then the pregnant girl should mind her own business," he replied.

Hermione took his arm and shook it a little.

"Oh come on, Ron. Cheer up! I'm just saying that you shouldn't put all of your focus on Quiddich, is all," she said.

Ron looked over at Harry.

"Harry, what did you say was one of your best accomplishments?"

"Winning the House cup by kicking Voldemort's arse," Harry replied casually. Hermione looked appalled.

"You didn't!" she gasped. "Harry, just because you're famous doesn't mean you have to use that to get a job!"

"I think it's the perfect way to get a job. Make them feel all guilty for making my life a living hell for the past seven years," he muttered. Ginny laughed, rubbing her stomach a little.

"You two are incorrigible," she said. "I hope the baby isn't like that."

"Can we please talk about something else?" Ron asked before Hermione could cut in. "Are we going to Hogsmeade or not?"

Hermione pursed her lips, frowning.

"I can't believe you two," she grumbled, moving away from Ron and taking Ginny's arm. "Come on, Gin. You must be hungry."

Ginny smiled.

"I am, actually. This baby has the appetite of Ron," she added, making Harry laugh while Ron just muttered something about girls and their moods. Harry and Ron followed the girls into the Great Hall where several students were already milling around, eating breakfast and preparing for the Hogsmeade trip. Quite a few of them looked up when they caught sight of Ginny and their eyes fell to her stomach. A lot of them began to whisper rather loudly about Ginny's obvious _condition_, making unfair comments about how she had gotten that way in the first place. Ginny ignored them as her eyes immediately fell onto the Slytherin table where she saw Rayne sitting. Rayne looked up and waved excitedly. She whispered something to Blaise, who was sitting with her and he looked up also. He gave a curt nod to Rayne before turning back to his conversation with Goyle. Rayne got up and ran over to the four.

"Hey, Ginny," she greeted with a hug. Ginny smiled and hugged the small girl back.

"Good morning, Rayne, how are you?" she asked.

The girl shrugged.

"Okay," she said before turning to Hermione. "I finished that book you recommended."

Hermione smiled and took the girl's hand.

"Well, now you need to read the second volume…"

Their voices trailed off as they walked down to a seat at the Gryffindor table. Ron rolled his eyes and followed the two while Harry waited for Ginny.

"He's not here," he whispered.

Ginny glanced over at him and smiled.

"I know he's not here," she replied. "I was actually looking for Rockwell."

"Yeah, sure," Harry muttered with a smile. Ginny rolled her eyes and took his hand.

"Come on, Harry. I'm starving."

They sat down across from Ron, Hermione and Rayne and Ginny immediately dug into the food. Ron started laughing at one point when Hermione actually suggested slowing down. Ginny just shot the Head Girl a warning look before she gulped down some of her pumpkin juice.

"I'm eating for two," was Ginny's excuse.

"Excuses, excuses," Ron muttered, shoving a piece of toast down his mouth. Hermione wrinkled her nose in disgust.

"I hope the baby isn't like this," she said. "She'll choke."

"It's a girl?" Rayne asked curiously.

Ginny smiled.

"We're hoping. That way, Bill won't kick the baby's butt," she answered.

"What would he do if it was a girl?"

"Shave her head," Ron answered enthusiastically.

Ginny shot him a nasty look.

"You will do nothing of the sort," she snapped. "If it's a boy, you can. If it's a girl… then you'll just have to deal with the blonde hair."

Hermione frowned.

"Shouldn't you already know if it's a girl or a boy?" she asked.

Ginny nodded.

"Yeah… I should, but I decided to just be pleasantly surprised."

Ron could not help but snort at the comment.

"Pleasantly surprised," he scoffed. "I'm sure Malfoy was pleasantly surprised when he found out you were pregnant in the first place."

"Ron!" Hermione scolded. Ginny shot him a nasty look, but said nothing about his cruel remark.

"Well, I'm just hoping that it's healthy," she continued. "Draco could care less."

"Speak of the devil," Harry muttered and they all turned to see Draco walk in, a smirk on his face. He walked over to the Slytherin table and sat down beside Blaise. Ginny smiled and turned back to her food.

"He's a prick," she muttered.

Harry rolled his eyes.

"I still can't believe you agreed to-"

"It's better than nothing, Harry," Ginny snapped, knowing exactly what he was talking about. "I thought you understood that."

"I do… I just think he's being a jackass."

"He is," Ron muttered in agreement. Ginny sighed.

"Yes, yes, Draco's an idiot, but he's my idiot for the next seven to eight months."

"And then?" Hermione asked curiously.

Ginny shrugged.

"I have you guys," she answered.

"And you're okay with that?" Harry asked.

Ginny looked around at them. She was surprised that no matter how many times they had this conversation, they were still amazed at how calm Ginny was about the agreement.

"Look… This was never going to last… maybe in another life… but after what happened…" she faltered for a moment before continuing. "After what happened, we both knew it was never going to last… we're just trying to make the most of what we can get."

Hermione couldn't help but smile at the maturity Ginny had gained over the past few weeks.

"I'm happy for you, Gin. And when that baby is born, you will have all of us with you," she said. Ginny smiled as well, thankful for her friend.

"Thank you, Hermione… really… thanks."

"Oi! Weasley!"

They all turned to see Draco standing at the entrance, leaning against the door. Ron snorted.

"What?!"

"The other one, you prick!"

"It's Malfoy!" Ginny responded, causing most of the students in the Hall to falter. It wasn't often that Ginny recognized her position with Draco.

"I don't care, come here!" he snapped.

Two Gryffindor girls near by snorted at the comment.

"He rapes her then treats her like a dog," one muttered. Ron flared.

"He didn't rape her," he growled.

The other girl rolled her eyes.

"Sure. Malfoy may be cute, but no one _wants_ to have his child," she replied. Ginny stood up, smiling falsly at them.

"I do," she responded before walking off to the entrance, leaving the two girls stunned and Hermione grinning. Ron and Harry just rolled their eyes and returned to their food. Ginny got to the door and followed Draco out, trailing behind him until they rounded the corner into a deserted hallway. He then pinned her against the wall, his hands moving beneath her skirt and shirt. Draco smirked when he saw the smile on her face broaden and leaned in to kiss her. Their lips met again in a heated battle, both desperate to gain lost time. Plunging his tongue into her mouth, he grinned as she moaned pulling away. His hands tugged at her shirt but she shook her head as he ran kisses down her neck.

"Um… love… we should probably do this in your _very_ private room… you know… the one with the lovely black satin sheets," she suggested. Draco growled into her skin but pulled away, walking off towards his room. Ginny grinned and followed a safe distance behind. She had learned from two days ago that if she followed too closely while he was in one of his moods, she'd end up in a class room naked.

The moment they entered his room, he pinned her against the wall, his hands moving down her back to her waist, which he pulled closer to his, needing to feel her against him.

"You're not wearing your ring," he whispered into her mouth. She smiled into his lips, moving her hands down his chest to his pants, which she tugged on.

"Neither are you," she murmured back, groaning when his hands made contact with her skin. Her body reacted to him immediately, pushing against his, loving the feeling of him and the way he sent pleasureable shockwaves up her spine. She pulled her arms up to the top of his shirt and began to unbutton his shirt before reaching down to grab his hands.

"That wasn't the point."

Ginny moved his hands up her sides to her stomach.

"Then what was?" she asked as he pulled away, his eyes darkening. His eyes flickered down to her bump, a brief hatred filling them. He was about to step away when she grabbed his face and pulled him into a searing kiss.

"You promised me," she whispered against his lips. "You promised me nine months."

Her skin burned beneath his fingers, rekindling a desire for her. He reached up and quickly unbuttoned her shirt, shoving it off of her shoulders before his hands moved down to her skirt. He felt Ginny hesitate for a moment, a brief feeling of fear running through her before she submitted to him, allowing him to remove her skirt before hoisting her up into his arms, forcing her to wrap her legs around his waist. She pulled away from him, leaning her back against the wall and running her hands down his hard abs, her eyes growing wide with excitement. She leaned in and ran her lips across his collarbone, amazed at how his heart beat rapidly beneath her fingertips.

"Nine months," she whispered into his pale skin. She felt his grip on her tighten.

"Fine."

* * *

Ginny smiled when Draco entered the bathroom hours later in nothing but boxers. She finished drying her hair with her wand before she looked in the mirror at herself.

"You seemed distracted," she commented.

Draco's eyes flashed to her stomach before he turned to the bathroom counter and began fiddling with some cologne bottles.

"You're getting fat," he replied coldly.

Used to his crude comments about her pregnancy, she rolled her eyes.

"And you're a bastard, what about it?" she asked, combing out her hair.

"You asked."

Ginny rubbed her stomach a little before turning to face him. She leaned in and kissed his chest as she wrapped her arms around his waist.

"I'm not that fat."

Draco leaned in and kissed her fully on the mouth, pulling her as close as he could.

"Not yet," he murmured into her lips. Ginny grinned as he backed her up into the shower, unclasping her bra as he went.

"Well, get used to it, because it's only going to get worse," she whispered before gasping as her back touched the cold marble walls of the shower. She tugged at his boxers, her need for him rising as his lips moved down her neck.

"I plan on it," he responded before turning on the shower, blanketing them in a spray of hot water. Ginny closed her eyes in anticipation as his hands fiddled with her knickers. They were both now panting feverishly, their breath mingling together in an invisible dance.

"Draco," she gasped, grabbing his hand and slowing him down. "Slow down, love... slow down..."

"I can't do that," he growled into her skin. "Damn it, Ginny, what the hell..."

She reached up and took his face in her hands, looking into his unsettled grey eyes.

"I want to enjoy this..."

* * *

"I don't like this," Ron muttered as he entered Hermione's private room. She looked up from her book and smiled.

"What?"

"This whole arrangement between Malfoy and Ginny," he grumbled, sitting down on the couch beside her. She frowned.

"Ron, I thought you agreed that-"

"I agreed that it was good for Ginny to have him around for the pregnancy, but that doesn't mean I have to like it," he snapped. Hermione took a deep breath, reminding herself that this was just the overprotective big brother talking.

"Ron, you and I know that this is much better than him just not being there at all," she whispered.

"Oh please, you know the only reason he decided to do this was to have sex with her," Ron muttered heatedly. Hermione hit him in the arm.

"Ronald Weasley, you know very well that that is not the reason he decided to marry her," she snapped angrily. "Be honest, Ron. Do you honestly think he _likes_ being around her? You've seen the way he looks at her. It's torturing him and you know it! It hurts him to know that he will never be Ginny's first and that he will never be able to have a real relationship with her because of what his father did. That's why he can't stay beyond the time she gives birth. He doesn't want to look into the eyes of something his father did."

Ron sighed, rubbing his eyes tiredly.

"I know," he whispered. "I... I just wish things were different you know. I know they're both trying to make the best out of a bad situation, but I just can't help but wish that..."

"Malfoy would stay?"

Ron groaned.

"Bloody hell," he muttered miserably. "I actually want him to stay."

Hermione grinned and kissed him softly on the lips.

"At least you're being honest with yourself," she offered.

Ron shot her a look.

"If I was being completely honest, I'd say a few things you wouldn't like to hear," he told her, causing her to blush.

"Well then, I'm glad you're being more honest that you'd like to be," she corrected. Ron reached up and touched her face.

"I want Ginny to be happy."

"She is Ron," Hermione whispered. "And she will be... even when Malfoy leaves."

Ron nodded.

"Harry's going to be leaving also... The Ministry of Magic in Germany offered him a great position as an Auror."

Hermione leaned in and kissed him.

"I'm sure he'll be happy there... it's been hard for him."

Ron deepened the kiss, pulling her closer to him so that she was on his lap. Their lips moved together tenderly, both of them in need of comfort. When he pulled away, he rested his head on her shoulder, holding her tightly.

"Everyone's leaving..." he whispered. Hermione looked down at him.

"I'm not."

Ron smiled.

"Thank God for that."

* * *

Ginny woke up early Sunday morning, very aware of the fact that someone was watching her. She sat up to see Draco sitting in the armchair in nothing but his boxers, eyes moving over her carefully.

"Hey," she whispered, pulling the covers up to her chest. He didn't respond. Biting her lip, she pulled the sheets out of the bed and wrapped them around herself before she got out of the bed and shuffled over to the armchair. Draco pulled her down onto his lap, wrapping his arms around her waist and leaning into her back, his lips brushing against her skin gently.

For a while they just sat there, basking in the warmth of the other and the pleasure of the memories they had made only a few hours before. When Ginny heard him sigh and kiss her back, she spoke.

"I was thinking of a name," she said.

His grip tightened around her waist.

"I told you I don't want to hear about the ba-"

"Well, I want to talk about it and unless you plan on leaving, which I doubt you will, I want you to listen. Just because you won't be here when its born does not mean you have to be completely absent in the whole process," she snapped. Draco snorted but said nothing, leaning his head between her shoulder blades. Ginny leaned back into his chest, closing her eyes.

"I was thinking about Reilly."

"Reilly?"

"Yeah," she said. "I think it's a great name."

Draco shrugged.

"I really don't care."

Ginny poked him in the stomach.

"Why are you always so moody after we make love?" she asked.

"Because we're not shagging anymore."

"You're unbelievable."

"I get that a lot…"

Ginny sighed, turning so that she could rest her head in the crook of his neck as she curled up in his lap. She placed a hand on his chest and smiled when she felt his heart beating a little faster than normal.

"Are you afraid of me?" she asked.

Draco rolled his eyes, pulling her closer.

"No."

"How many times are you going to-"

"I love you."

Ginny froze.

For a moment she thought she hadn't heard him properly, but when he said nothing else, she was quite certain that he had just said what she thought he said.

She contemplated kissing him…

She contemplated saying the words back…

But in the end, she knew the right words to say…

She kissed his neck softly as her eyes closed, the beginning of sleep hitting her as his chest moved up and down evenly.

"I'm going to miss you," she whispered into his skin.

Draco kissed her temple before he leaned back in his chair, ignoring the pain that those words brought. She seemed so fragile in his arms as he held her close to him. Breakable... yet she was the one who had broken him...

"I'm going to miss you too."

**A/N: Okay, this is the last batch of reviews I'm going to be answering. The next chapter is the last and I must say that it has been a very big pleasure to write for you. This is the longest story I've written and I have enjoyed every minute of it! Thanks for sticking with me, even when things got a little weird or disturbing. I hope you enjoy this chapter and the next one! Thanks soooooo much!**

**younggem:** We all hoped it would be Draco's baby. But...

**Skepo:** I'm glad you're excited! I'm excited too!

**MeggyandHaku:** Oh don't worry. This isn't the last! And believe me, I think you'll like the last chapter.

**snowfire81:** It's not that mean. It's more realistic. Besides, I think they're enjoying their time together.

**luckycharm9:** It definitely was a diamond ring. And I think he loves her so much that he _has _to leave. The best thing for that child is that Draco _doesn't_ raise it.

**tamara72:** I wanted to give Ginny a chance to talk to at least one of her brothers before something happened. Thanks for reminding me about the letter.

**KuroitsukiNoMai:** I wanted to do something that would show the extreme risks Draco would take to get revenge.

**nextbestthing:** She's strong enough because she's with Draco for now.

**jenny:** Educating? Well, I suppose... I'm glad you liked the chapter. Enjoy the ending.


	32. Drift

_I remember when we fell,  
it took my whole life, my breath away.  
I remember when we kissed  
as you drift into the sun…_

_Far away it's not like  
I wanted to.  
Far away it's not like  
I could breathe anymore  
Far away it's not like  
I wanted you  
but you're not for me  
not for me anymore!_

**Drift by Forty Foot Echo**

* * *

"So he left after I was born?"

Ginny nodded, looking down at her hands.

"He left shortly after I arrived at the hospital."

"Did he say goodbye?"

"Yes he did."

"He left because he hated me, didn't he?"

Ginny looked up at her daughter and shook her head.

"No… Draco left because he hated what you represented… he knew that if he stayed, you might end up like him… he didn't want that," she explained, taking her daughter's hands in hers. "He would love you if he ever met you."

"Do you still love him?"

Ginny stiffened at the question and looked back down at her hands. Her daugher noticed her mother's discomfort and frowned.

"I mean… even when you have Jason… do you still think about him?"

Ginny nodded slowly.

"Sometimes…" she answered before glancing down at her watch. "Come on, Reilly. You have to get ready to leave. We've spent the whole night talking about this! The Hogwarts Express leaves at nine and I will not have you miss the train on your first year."

She grabbed her daughter's hand and marched her to her bedroom before she crossed the hall to the other bedroom. She knocked on the door quickly.

"Rayne! Hurry up!"

The door opened and a tall sixteen-year-old young woman with curly red hair appeared, rubbing her eyes tiredly.

"Is it time already?"

"Yes, it is, so hurry up!" Ginny replied quickly before heading to the kitchen. She prepared breakfast for the two girls as fast as she could while going over the conversation she had just had with her daughter, Reilly.

It had been eleven years since that time, yet it was the day before she left when the girl finally asked about her father. Though Ginny had explained to Reilly that her biological father had raped her, she had told the girl anything about Draco. It wasn't until Rayne had accidentally mentioned him the morning before had Reilly's interest been peaked. Ginny had spent the entire night telling her daughter about the man her mother had fallen in love with.

Ginny had seen the many different emotions spread across her daughter's face while telling the tale, especially when Ginny had arrived to those three days of torture. Reilly had begged her mother to skip the part after two minutes and so Ginny had gone straight to the moment she had found out she was pregnant with Reilly. It had been difficult to talk about how they had been married for the eight and a half months Ginny had been pregnant and Ginny had skipped most of the details about that as well.

Placing the eggs and toast on a plate, she leaned against the counter and sighed.

Eleven years…

It had been eleven years since he had walked out of the door and eleven years since she had seen his beautiful cold grey eyes...

"Ginny?"

Ginny looked up to see Rayne watching her carefully.

"Oh hey honey, are you ready?" she asked. Rayne smiled and shrugged, grabbing a piece of toast.

"I just want to see Nicholas again," she admitted. Ginny raised an eyebrow.

"Is this Nicholas the Slytherin Head Boy, Nicholas?"

Rayne rolled her eyes.

"If I can recall properly, I'm not the only one who was attracted to Head Boys. Or Slytherins."

"Draco was a Head Boy?"

The two turned to see Reilly standing at the door, looking excited at the piece of information about the man who loved her mother more than anything. Ginny nodded.

"Yes he was, but that's not the reason I fell for him," she added, shooting a look at Rayne, who smiled. "I still don't think it's wise to be dating the Slytherin Head Boy while you're Gryffindor's star Quiddich player. Don't you two fight a lot?"

Rayne smiled.

"Tons of times. Quiddich, grades, who's in charge! But he loves me so it doesn't matter in the end."

Reilly grinned.

"I think it's wonderful! Just like you and Draco, mum!" she added to the conversation. Ginny sighed.

"There is no more Draco and I. I'm with Jason now, and you two know that," she said, waving around her left hand to make a point. Rayne rolled her eyes.

"Jason's all good for the father figure role once you two get married, but you were a much different person when you were with Draco. Happier."

"I'm happy now!" Ginny objected. Rayne nodded.

"I know you are... never mind... I'm just glad you told her," Rayne whispered while Reilly ate her food. "It was getting a bit hard to not talk about him at all."

Ginny sighed and nodded again, her eyes moving to her daughter. Though her mannerisms were all Weasley, she looked everything like a Malfoy. She had bright grey eyes with beautiful pale skin and a beautiful face to go along with it. She was tall for her age as well and up until two days ago, she had had long blonde hair. Her eyes, however, were her most startling feature. Like her brothers, they often took on a humorous glint, but at the same time they would be mysterious and somewhat uninviting. It was a look Ginny recognized several times and hoped would not affect her relationships at school like it had with Draco... or his father...

"I still can't believe you let them do that to you, Reilly," Ginny muttered, reaching out and rubbing her hand over the blonde fuzz that was now her daughter hair. Reilly pointed to Rayne.

"She told Uncle Fred and Uncle George that I was getting my hair cut! They said that they would do it and then they shaved it all off!" she complained, shooing her mother's hand away. "It wasn't my fault."

Ginny sighed.

"Well, I think they won't do it again after what I did to them," she said and Rayne smiled, pulling her red hair up into a ponytail.

"Bill said that they'd do it, Gin," she commented, grabbing her jacket. "Besides, I think it's a good look for her. A sort of punkish thing. All the boys will be attracted to her."

Ginny frowned.

"I don't _want_ all the boys to be attracted to her," she said. "I want her to have a normal first year."

Reilly smirked, a look that was purely Malfoy.

"Like you had a normal year? When Harry visited he told me about how he had to save you," she pointed out. Ginny rolled her eyes.

"Like I said, I want you to have a _normal_ first year. No trolls, incompetent _or_ evil DADA teachers, portkeys that lead to graveyards, diaries that are trying to kill you or even Hagrid's little pets who happen to possess three heads or breathe fire," she said with a smile. "Just a normal year."

Reilly glanced over at Rayne with the same smirk that nearly killed Ginny everytime she saw it.

"Uncle Ron told me about Lockhart-"

Ginny stood up and grabbed both girls by the arm.

"Okay, time to go!"

* * *

They arrived at the platform with minutes to spare. Rayne said a quick goodbye and told Reilly to meet her on the train before running off to find her friends. Reilly turned to her mother, frowning.

"Is Jason coming?" she asked curiously.

Ginny shook her head.

"No, he has to work today. But he sent me an owl last night and told me to tell you good luck," she replied with a smile. Reilly nodded, looking down at her hands.

"Mum… can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"If… if I hadn't been born… would you and Draco still be together?" she asked, barely audible above the excited crowd of children, students and parents. Ginny's eyes watered and she hugged her daughter.

"Oh Reilly," she whispered into her daughter's ear. "Don't think that you're the reason Draco left. He didn't hate _you_. Remember that."

"He just hated my father."

Ginny shook her head.

"Lucius Malfoy was not your father… he was just a man who did something terrible… and I ended up getting something beautiful," she added, kissing Reilly's cheek. "I love you so much, you know that right?"

Reilly nodded.

"I know, mum… I was just wondering."

Ginny nodded, hugging her again.

"Okay… we'll talk about this again, I promise, but you need to get on the train or you'll miss it."

"Okay," Reilly said, picking up her bag and running to the train. She stopped, however, once she got on the landing and turned to her mother. "What happens if I get into Slytherin?" she asked over the shouting crowds of people.

Ginny grinned.

"Tell them you're a bloodtraitor and that your father was Draco Malfoy!"

"Okay! Love you mum! Love you!" Reilly yelled with other students as the train pulled out of the station.

"I love you too, Reilly!" Ginny shouted, waving with other parents. She continued to wave until the train was out of sight. She stood there for a moment before she turned and began to leave, feeling good about this.

Ginny had almost made it out of Kings Cross when something caught her eye. A tall blonde man was walking a little ahead of her towards one of the locker rooms. Biting her lip, she let her curiosity get the best of her and followed him away from the crowds of muggles in the general area and into the locker rooms where a couple of people were storing luggage. She rounded the corner of one section of lockers and found herself facing an empty area.

"I think I'm being followed by a weasel," came the familiar drawl of a man she had not seen in a long time. She turned around quickly and just stared at him.

He was much older than she remembered… but then again, it had been eleven years. His features were much more defined. Much more mature. Everything about him told her that he had tried just as hard as she had, perhaps even harder, to move past his seventh year. Her sixth.

"Draco," she whispered. "It's you."

He leaned against the lockers, his eyes moving over her quickly. She was older as well, though her eyes still carried the same flame he had fallen in love with all those years ago. Her hair was shorter and her skin tanner, but she looked so familiar…

"Hello Weasley," he replied with a smirk. She smiled at him and folded her arms over her chest.

"You look like you've been doing well."

"So do you," he responded coolly.

Ginny tilted her head to the side.

"Were you on the platform when the Express left?" she asked.

He nodded silently, his eyes burning with a fire she had not seen in a long time.

"And?"

He shrugged, motioning to the exit.

"There's a café down the street," he said before leaving. Ginny sighed and followed him out of the station and down the street to the small café. As they sat down, she noticed him fiddling with something in his pocket.

"I never thought I'd see the day when Draco Malfoy suggested a muggle place," she commented. His nose wrinkled in disgust.

"It does have an odor doesn't it?" he replied

"You want to leave?"

Draco shook his head, leaning back in his chair and watching her carefully.

"I have to leave soon," he told her.

"Oh… _so_…" Ginny started, fiddling with the edge of the tablecloth.

"It's a girl."

Ginny smiled and nodded.

"Reilly is amazing," she said. "She may look more like a Malfoy, but she's every bit a Weasley. Has Ron's appetite, Fred and George's sense of humor and other attributes courtesy of me."

Draco smirked.

"I'm assuming she knows about Lucius," he remarked and after a moment, Ginny nodded.

"Yes, she does. I figured it'd be pointless to lie to her about it, especially since she's constantly surrounded by redheads…"

"Does she know about-"

"Up until last night she didn't," Ginny answered quickly, looking down at her hands. "Rayne sort of mentioned you and I had to tell her."

"Were you ever going to?" Draco asked coolly.

Ginny shrugged.

"Maybe… when she was older… but she handled it better than I thought, considering-"

"Jason," he interrupted knowingly, pointing to the engagement ring on her finger.

Ginny looked up, surprised that he knew so much about her. Draco smirked at her reaction.

"I still keep in contact with Rayne," he explained. "But of course, you wouldn't know anything about that."

Ginny shook her head, making a mental note to talk to the sixteen year old.

"She likes him… but she… she doesn't think of him as her father… especially after last night. I think I talked her into falling in love with her big brother," she commented, noticing his eyes darken dangerously. She decided to switch gears.

"So, what are you doing here? It's been eleven years since you walked away," she said. Draco sighed.

"I decided to come and see you… and her…"

"Why?"

Draco smirked.

"I'm going to be teaching at Hogwarts. I might as well know which student I'm going to be calling little sister," he told her. Ginny's eyes bulged and she smiled.

"Hogwarts! Draco, why would you ever-"

"Ginny," Draco cut in, his eyes darkening again with the past. "My seven years at Hogwarts was a living hell and I know things weren't always that great for you either, especially in your sixth year. I'm not about to let that happen to her."

"I thought you wanted nothing to do with her."

"I said I didn't want anything to do with raising her," he corrected darkly. "I'm not going to be raising her in Hogwarts. I'm going to be teaching her how to defend herself."

Ginny stared at him for the longest time, amazed at how much he had changed over the last eleven years. She remembered the hatred he had had for the unborn baby and the rage that had filled his eyes when her water had broken. But now… he was serious… he wanted to be part of her life, even if that meant never being her father…

A smile spread across her face as she looked out the café window to watch people walk by.

"I'm sure Snape _loved_ the fact that you got the job," she commented. She heard him laugh and could not help but look at him, missing the familiar smirk that had brought shivers down her spine countless times.

"He offered it to me," Draco said before standing up. Ginny stood up as well and for a moment they just stared at each other. Then Draco reached into his pocket and pulled something out.

"Oh Draco," Ginny gasped. "You found it."

The horse-shaped Life crystal Draco had given her eleven years ago twinkled as it rotated slowly on the thin gold chain. Draco handed it to her and she put it on, holding up the moving horse for a moment before she looked up at him.

"Thank you, Draco," she whispered.

He reached up and ran a hand down her face, watching as her eyes closed under the touch of his cool fingers. He leaned in and brushed his lips against hers slowly, taking his time with her. She tasted sweet and smelled like the same apples and cinnamon that he had fallen in love with. His body reacted to her seamlessly and he pulled her close, their bodies touching temporarily. He felt her shudder beneath him and smiled at her movements before pulling away.

"I'm guessing Jason doesn't kiss you like that," he murmured, his lips brushing against hers. She shook her head.

"I don't want him to…"

She saw his eyes glaze over briefly before he pulled himself away from her completely. He was quiet for a moment, contemplating his next question fully.

"Does she know what I look like?" he asked.

Ginny shook her head.

"No… but she's not stupid. She'll figure it out the moment she sees you."

Draco nodded, unsettled eyes meeting her.

"Well, then I'll just have to introduce myself to my little sister," he said with a smirk. Ginny nodded, crossing her arms over stomach.

"That sounds like a good idea…"

Draco's eyes flickered down to her lips momentarily before he turned and left the café. Ginny sat back down at the table, watching him disappear through the window before she smiled and looked down at the ring on her finger.

"That sounds like a really good idea…"

* * *

Draco arrived at the school late that night, missing the opening dinner and typical start of the year speech by the Headmaster. Not that he cared. He never paid attention to those things anyway. He arrived at his office and tapped his wand on the wall, revealing a rather comfortable living space. Not as big as his flat in London or Paris, but comfortable.

Sighing, he sat down on the couch and pulled out a crumpled envelope, brown and torn a little from age. It had been twelve years since he had last seen the envelope, but he recognized the controlled and graceful handwriting immediately.

There were only two words on the envelope, written in perfect cursive.

_To Ginny_

Over the past eleven years, Draco had contemplated giving the letter to her, but the words from his future self had stopped him.

"_Maybe it is, but it's going to happen… and when it does, I want you to die with this," Malfoy said, holding out a letter through the bars. "I want you to have this with you when you die."_

Draco had died several times over since that night...

He opened the letter and read it slowly, his eyes darkening with every word.

_To my Little Weasel,_

_There are many things I'd like to say to you that I have never had the courage to say. I've spent a lifetime telling myself that even when I was with you, I could never love you the way that you wanted me to..._

_Now that I'm dead, there are several things I need to tell you that I never could have..._

_Our daughter, Laurie, is the best thing that ever happened to me, not only because she's mine, but because I was able to see her grow up outside of the world I was raised in. I'm sorry I was never there as often as I should have been._

_You... I never could understand my obsession in you... I was forced to submit to you even after we were married and that was something I never wanted to do. Power was the only thing I had complete control over and you took that away from me the moment our lips touched. I let myself become controlled by you... I allowed myself to need you in a way that I've never needed anything else and I allowed myself to love you against my better judgment. For that, I'm sorry. I would have killed you myself if I had known how bad things would have gotten._

_Now for some confessions..._

_In my life, I've killed three hundred and ninety-two people. Whether or not they deserved to be killed is left to interpretation. I have deflowered two hundred and sixty-seven girls and women, but I have never raped one of them. You are the only one who has had the misfortune to raise my child. I have ruined the lives of seven hundred and two people through blackmail, extortion, murder, and other forms of less than legal status. I have never been found guilty of any of my crimes._

_Now... I sit here, waiting for death to finally release me from the hate, the guilt and the pain that has built up in side of me since I was five..._

_Ginny._

_I never wanted to love you. I never wanted you to have my child. I never wanted the last words that came out of my mouth to be 'I love you.'_

_But I do. And you did. And they were._

_So, as things begin to dim and my life finally comes to a merciful end, I only ask for one thing._

_Not that you love me... but that you forgive me._

_Draco_

Draco stared at the letter for a long time, knowing that the very words that were being said in the letter were the very words that he had wanted to say to her over the past eleven years.

_Perhaps you'll have a chance to say these words to her in person?_

A fool's chance.

He knew that as long as he continued to survive, he would never say these words to her. He would never admit to being wrong. Not as long as his blood still ran through his veins...

_Then maybe you should just stop living..._

It was a tempting thought...

Something rang and he recognized it as a warning to tell him that someone was in his office. Pulling out his wand, he walked over to the wall and tapped it. When the wall disintegrated, he froze. The girl in the office turned around from facing his desk and her eyes grew.

"So it _is _true," she gasped. "You really are here."

His eyes moved over her face, hatred boiling up inside at the horrifying resemblance she had to him and his father, from her pointed structure to the shaved blonde hair she had. They had the familiar mischievous glint he had seen in Ginny several times, but somehow they were just as cold and uninviting as his own.

When he did not speak immediately, she knew why and backed up a little.

"Mum told me that you hated me, but I still wanted to see you..." she whispered.

Draco blinked before he moved past her to his desk, sitting down at it.

"I do hate you, but do you know why?" he asked. She sat down across from him.

"Because your father is my father."

Draco stared at her again, genuinely amazed at how much she actually understood. Again, when he did not speak, she continued.

"I know you left to protect me from becoming like you and that you don't want to be my father and all, but I was wondering if you'd like to be my brother? I have plenty of cousins who are boys, but I feel like I know you already because we have a lot in common," she said quickly, noticing that his grey eyes were darkening. "Of course, if you just want to be my teacher, that's fine."

His eyes moved over her face for a moment before he looked down at the letter he still held in his hand.

"You've spent a lot of time with Hermione Weasley, haven't you?" he asked. Reilly smiled and nodded.

"She's my favorite aunt," she replied. Draco nodded silently. He then pointed to her hair.

"Your uncles do that?"

Reilly ran her hand over the fuzz and nodded.

"Rayne told them about my haircut and they ambushed me. It used to be long," she said. "But most of them didn't really like it because it was blonde… like yours."

"They tried the same thing with me once while your mother was pregnant. I ended up shaving all of their heads," Draco told her, causing her to laugh.

"Mum never told me about that."

Draco sighed, leaning back in his chair.

"Your mother doesn't like talking about a lot of things to do with us."

"She told me that you two were married for the nine months."

Draco did not answer. He just stared at her, seeing so much of his father in her beautiful features.

That could have been his daughter…

Reilly was growing uncomfortable with the way he was staring at her and moved a little in her chair.

"Are you okay?"

Draco blinked and then looked down at the schedule he had on his desk.

"You know anything about curses, Weasley?" he asked.

"A little," she stuttered, startled by the way he had used her last name.

Draco looked up into her bright grey eyes before he stood up. She stood up as well, waiting for him to speak. He wrote down something on a piece of parchment and handed it to her.

"Since it's your first year, I'm not _legally_ permitted to teach you anything good, but come by after dinner twice a week."

"Why?"

His eyes met hers.

"So big brother can teach you how to defend yourself."

She grinned at him and to his surprise she ran around the desk to hug him. For a moment his arms hung limp at his sides, then he patted her on the back, gently pulling her away from himself.

"Remember the part when I said that I hated you?" he asked with a smirk. A similar smirk appeared on her face.

"Mum said you were an arse."

Draco raised an eyebrow.

"Should you be using that language?"

Reilly's smirk broadened as she turned to leave.

"Look who's acting like a father now," she said before disappearing out of the office. Draco sat back down at his desk, staring at the seat she had just occupied. The letter in his hand drifted to the floor unnoticed.

Perhaps he would postpone giving Ginny the letter for a few years...

This little girl intrigued him...

**_The End..._**


End file.
